Corporate Social Investment, or CSI as it’s more commonly known has become an intricate and deeply strategic pillar not only within the mining industry but across all businesses in South Africa. At Anglo American, we are committed to ensuring that the benefits of mining can be seen and felt wherever we operate and throughout South Africa. One of the ways we do this is through our CSI efforts which are identified with the help of the communities where we operate and our various partners in SA to ensure the efforts are implemented in the right places at the right times for everyone’s benefit.
Throughout our business we have embraced Government’s National Development Plan and as part of this our De Beers business has dedicated 60% of our CSI projects to education. These education projects help drive our country’s growth and development by empowering more youth to reach their full potential.
Our Venetia mine in Limpopo is at the forefront of our education drive, having partnered with the Department of Education last year to provide infrastructure to 11 schools in the Musina and Blouberg areas.
Building on this, Venetia has added two more education-based community development programmes this year:
From mud structure to early childhood development centre
The Grootpan Community Crèche, was officially opened in June and provides refuge to children between the ages of four and six years old.
To date, we’ve donated R2.2 million to help transform the Grootpan Community Crèche from a small mud structure with primitive outside toilets to a modern Early Childhood Development Centre boasting a borehole, septic tank, furniture and playground facilities.
Now, the centre houses over 60 children and forms an integral part of the community.
Special care for a special school
Together with the Limpopo Department of Education and the Minister of Mineral Resources, we helped re-open the Ratanang Special School Hostel at Senwabarwana in Blouberg for children with special needs.
In 2006, we partnered with the Department of Education in Limpopo to help build the hostel facilities at the school, which accommodated more than 320 learners.
Completed in 2010, this venture saw each partner contribute R6 million, resulting in a R12 million injection into the lives of children who need it most.
Unfortunately, a catastrophic storm ploughed through the area in 2012, and most of the school’s hostel infrastructure was blown away. The renovation work cost close to R7.2 million to restore the facility.
The re-opening of the school in 2014 brought renewed hope to the community. Fifteen-year-old, Nomakhosi Miyen, who has been at the Ratanang Special School for three years and dreams of being a doctor says, “I feel great because of what De Beers has done for me and my school and I love my new hostel.”
Theo Machaba, who is 21 and has attended Ratnanang Special School for 15 years says before we helped build the new hostel, children at the school would have to help their teachers convert their classrooms into sleeping quarters at the end of each day. When asked about his new accommodation Theo says, “The conditions at our new hostel are so much better than before. We’re very grateful to De Beers for giving us a new home.”
To discover our commitment to a transformed industry and nation, download our latest Transformation Report.