African People’s Convention (APC) president and Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) Chairperson Themba Godi says he will engage the Mineral Resources Department to request it to compel mining companies to embark on outreach programmes in communities that they have operations.
The mining communities of Mapela, outside Mokopane, Limpopo, have sought the intervention of Godi to assist them in ensuring that they benefit from the operations of the local, Mogalakwena Platinum Mine.
Godi says mining communities are suffering and their areas are underdeveloped because the department is not doing its work.
“DMR is not doing its work. They are supposed to do their work of monitoring and ensuring that the mines are in compliance with the terms of conditions when they getting the license. We will engage DMR and see how we can get the officials. We see all over Limpopo that mine communities are underdeveloped and poor only a few captured people benefited at the expense of the community.”
Sinky Thema is one of the community leaders who requested Godi to assist the communities of Mapela.
“We call Themba Godi to intervene between us, the government and the mine. We feel like the mine is ignoring us. The mine has done nothing to our communities. We have got three villages which are being relocated. So far, the mine hasn’t done according to the agreement.”
Click below for more on the story:
