Tshikondeni, a former mining village in Limpopo, is set to transform into a hub of economic activity nearly four years after the closure of the Tshikondeni coal mine, with the anchor being a first-of-its-kind Malaria Research Centre.

The Laurelle Zamisa Malaria Research Centre was established in March by antimalaria innovator Lumin8 as part of nonprofit company Makuya Tshikondeni Development Foundation’s (MTDF’s) Tshikondeni Legacy Project (TLP).

The MTDF is a joint initiative of the Makuya Traditional Council, mining giant Exxaro Resources and steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) to revive postmine closure investment and inject new economic life into the former mining centre.

The revitalisation of the town, following the closure of the Tshikondeni coal mine, which was managed by Exxaro and ceased operations in October 2014, is at the core of the TLP.

The project aims to benefit the local community by stimulating economic activity in tourism, research, education and training and agriculture, with other partners, such as the Southern African Wildlife College and Peace Parks Foundation, assisting with the project.

Lumin8 has become the first to embrace the potential of the initiative, leveraging the refurbished Tshikondeni mine hostel for use by universities, the private sector and other stakeholders for collaboration-friendly, red-tape-free research in the crucial field of malaria response.

The facility, comprising three fully equipped laboratories and accommodation for six researchers, was named after the late Laurelle Zamisa, an AMSA employee and MTDF director who contracted malaria after visiting Tshikondeni for a meeting in early 2018.

As Tshikondeni is located in a high-risk malaria area, any breakthroughs in malaria eradication would hold benefits for the local population, as well as the developing world as a whole.

Exxaro points out that, while the reported 209-million malaria cases in 2017 were lower than the total cases for the the prior year, no significant progress in malaria-fighting has been made, with malaria infections actually increasing by 3.5-million in 2017 in the ten most affected African countries.

The Tshikondeni village, comprising about 150 homes, a club, a bar and restaurant, a swimming pool, a squash court, a church and related infrastructure, has scope for further beneficial use of the site.

The village, positioned close to the Makuya Nature Reserve and adjacent to the Kruger National Park and the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, is ideally located for eco-tourism enterprise development.

The parties plan to convert and complement the substantial existing infrastructure by introducing camp sites, chalets and conservation training facilities, supplemented by retail ventures and other supporting services, using local entrepreneurs and creating employment and upskilling opportunities for the community.

In January, Exxaro donated 56 houses, three crèches and a community hall to three communities living near the Tshikondeni mine.

Twenty houses, a crèche and a community hall were built in Mukomawabani, while a further 18 houses and a crèche were added to both Sanari and Mutele B.

Exxaro plans to embark on enterprise development projects and a water infrastructure development project in the area.

“We believe in using our resources to invest in a brighter future for all and that partnerships such as this strengthen upliftment for our communities past and present. We are delighted to have like-minded collaborators on board with this project,” says MTDF chairperson and Exxaro sustainability executive head Mongezi Veti.