Coal miner Glencore Coal has handed over a revamped service centre office to the community of Klarinet, in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga.

The Klarinet Municipal Pay Point Centre will be used as a functional rates and taxes municipal service facility for community members who have been unable to access the only other available service centre in eMalahleni owing to distance.

“The project was undertaken as part of Glencore’s social and labour plan commitments as stipulated in the Tweefontein Social Labour Plan. Glencore consulted with the eMalahleni local municipality to identify projects that they could assist with according to the socioeconomic needs in the municipal area.

“This led to a service centre being identified as a crucial need in ensuring adequate service delivery and ease of access to municipal services for the community of Klarinet,” Glencore Coal says.

Klarinet community members came out to receive the revamped centre and the handover was also attended by Glencore representatives and the newly elected eMalahleni executive mayor Conny Nkalitshana, who was accompanied by ward councillors from various wards.

“Today is about demonstrating our commitment to delivering on our social and labour plan obligations, but, more importantly, it is about our commitment to progressing together with our stakeholders,” says Glencore Coal community and regulatory affairs GM Noel Pillay.

“The Klarinet Service Centre was identified as a priority need in the municipality’s [integrated development plan] after several engagements with the municipality. Therefore, it is a momentous occasion to see it come to fruition.

“I am especially pleased to announce that a local service provider was awarded the business opportunity, thereby ensuring that local employment was created for the duration of the project,” he says.

“As Glencore, we are committed to bettering our communities and will continue to contribute to activities and programmes designed to improve the quality of life of the people,” he adds.

Further, Glencore Coal is proud to be a supporter of the Executive Mayor’s 90 days in office cleaning campaign called ‘Hlanzeka’ by donating various cleaning equipment towards the drive.

“We are grateful to Glencore for the service centre that they have handed over today. This centre will assist in bringing the necessary local government services closer to the community,” says Nkalitshana.

“However, what I am most pleased about is that it will also create job opportunities within this area. My focus [as mayor] is on service delivery, employment and creating a better city, and this centre will help us to achieve all those things, thanks to Glencore. I hope that all our officials and community members will embrace this opportunity, which will benefit the community in many ways,” she says.