An investment of more than R20-million over the past eight years has made Assmang Iron Ore’s Beeshoek mine a great asset for the Tsantsabane municipality, in the Northern Cape, says Tsantsabane mayor Elroy Phete.

Various infrastructure and development projects have benefited from the mine’s social and labour plans required by the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act to ensure effective transformation in the mining industry.

The projects include building a school hall and a taxi rank, upgrading a road intersection and paving roads, as well as providing a fire truck for a disaster management centre and business skills for several entrepreneurs.

Beeshoek mine social and economic development practitioner John Ncazelo explains: “The mine understands that it has a responsibility to contribute to the development of the area, in addition to being the major employer in the towns surrounding it.

“Our investments are not only a response to legislation. We want to show the community that we care about the broader conditions in which they live. The municipality determines what the needs are and approaches us for assistance to meet them.”

He adds that the mine focuses on infrastructure investment and entrepreneurial development.

Phete explains that an integrated development plan (IDP) was drawn up by the munici- pality, with input from the community.

“We ask the community what they want us to do. This forms the basis of the IDP. With the help of mines such as Assmang, we are currently able to paint roads and develop infrastructure, as the community has requested. In the past, it was all just promises,” he says.

The mayor notes that unemployment in the area dropped by about 3% between 2001 and 2011, despite the area gaining an additional 3 000 households in the area. He ascribes this to the contribution of Assmang Iron Ore’s Beeshoek mine.

The municipality approached Assmang Iron Ore Beeshoek mine to provide funding for the building of a new taxi rank in Postmasburg, the biggest town in the Tsantsabane municipality.

The mine readily agreed to the request and, following an investment of R6-million, has provided a structure for the town which it can be proud of.
In 2010, the Beeshoek mine contributed R7-million, the result of which is a well- constructed intersection with traffic lights – the only one in the town.
“There were many road accidents and passing through the intersection was difficult for residents,” says Ncazelo.

Four other roads in the municipality have been paved and funds have also been allocated for the construction of four further roads in Newtown and White City.