As part of its social and labour commitment to the Department of Mineral Resources, mining and minerals marketing giant Glencore launched the Makause Combined School, in Phola, near its coal operations in Mpumalanga, earlier this month.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg officially opened the school – a R75-million investment by Glencore.

The building of the school came after Glencore had discovered coal near its coal operation in Ogies, also in Mpumalanga. Subsequently, families had to be relocated to Phola, which entailed an additional R70-million housing development for the relocated families’ needs.

The school caters for preprimary, primary and secondary leaners. It comprises 32 classrooms, a science laboratory, a home economics facility, wood and metal workshops, a library, a computer centre and a school hall that can accommodate 1 200 pupils.

“It is very important for us to invest in the communities in which we operate, as this is part of our social and labour plan commitment,” said Glasenberg during the unveiling, noting that this development project ensured that the children of Glencore employees could attend school.

“In the long run, we can benefit, as these children can, in about 25 years’ time, be engineers at our operations,” he said.

Moreover, Motshekga added that the school was an asset to the community, which would go a long way towards changing the lives of learners.

“An investment in education of this magnitude demonstrates the commitment of Glencore to the future of the country. It is only when we come together as government, business, civil society and citizens that we can truly break the barriers of inequality,” she stated.

Glencore group executive Clinton Ephron said during the unveiling that the school was built to ensure that the children of Phola had access to the best possible educational facilities: “A good education helps to provide a strong foundation for children to achieve their potential. As a result, the school demonstrates our commitment to South Africa and the local communities where we operate.”

Moreover, the Department of Basic Education is doing a lot of infrastructure work to restore dignity in education. However, the needs outweigh the department’s ability to meet the challenge on its own.

Therefore, through committed partnerships, such as the one with Glencore, the department can change the infrastructure backlogs in South African schools.

(See also pages 6 and 12)