Several companies in the mining and energy sector have pledged to invest billions in Limpopo. The companies made pledges during the last day of the two-day mining conference in Polokwane.
The second edition of the Limpopo conference on mining, energy and industrialization investment, ended on Friday, with pledges made by companies.
A total of more than twenty companies made pledges to invest more than R34 billion in the province. They include African Rainbow Minerals, Ivanplants Mine, Jika Energy and Limpopo Central Hospital among others. Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has said that he hopes that the pledges will be converted to real investment.
“Hope every pledge will be converted into real investment. Investors don’t invest to do us a favour, they invest because they see opportunities to make money and they actually expect us as government at all levels to facilitate as they do business in South African and in general in Limpopo,” says Mantashe.
Power Motsileng, a director of a company in the mining industry, said that the investment should not only be in the form of money but empowering people as well.
“This year we don’t see much from what happened last year, they are talking of investment only with money but you need to invest into people. My take was that when we leave here will see more junior mines come out of this conference and I would like that next year if it is possible they can bring the guy who has taken through the process and gave them the mineral rights to come and tell us the story about their achievement,” says Motsileng.
Some mining communities, who had attended the conference, expressed disappointment that the companies did not announce plans for empowering the locals. Jack Dikobe and Edward Phasha also say it is challenging to obtain mining licenses.
“There is a lot of non-compliance in particular in community development in the business side. Community itself they are forcing themselves into the mine to force their 30% but currently it is not working,” says Dikobe.
“We are very disappointed because they were supposed to call us because this activity of mining and illegal mining is happening in Sekhukhune. We are not happy about the way the permits and the process of permits is very slow in Sekhukhune,” says Phasha.
Mantashe has said that Bokoni Platinum at Atok outside Burgersfort is expected to contribute in the employment of people when it reopens.
The mine has been bought by a new company.
