Page 72 - SAPREF 50 year

“SAPREF has been our knight in shining armour for many years. From ambulances to computer equipment, they have been integral
A key player in the community
SAPREF’s roots in the South Durban community are deep and wide. In the early 1990s, as part of reaching out to neighbouring communities, SAPREF established the Community Liaison Forum (CLF). The CLF was meant to be an advisory and consultative forum to bridge the gap between the refinery and the community. After a few false starts, the forum stabilised in 2003.
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local authority and members of SAPREF also attended the meetings, which were facilitated by an independent consultant.
Specifics discussed in the early days included SAPREF’s environmental and operational performance, the pipeline to Island View, employment opportunities, and social
Captain Ntombifuthi Mthiyane: Communication Officer, “Isipingo Police Station
SAPREF has done a lot for our communities, especially the underprivileged. They have even helped us, a government organisation! Our charge office is a very busy and crowded space and we didn’t have a private space where people could talk about and report, for example, sexual abuse. Thanks to SAPREF we now have
a victim-friendly facility on our ”premises, fully furnished for the comfort of the victims and their counsellors.
“Irene Stainbank: Wentworth Aids Action Group SAPREF has been our knight in shining armour for many years.
to our volunteer work in”
Durban.
eforming in 2004, the CLF met
as often as monthly. It had representation from residents, civic and ratepayers associations, and
NGOs. Representatives from the
investment in neighbouring communities. One of the outcomes of these discussions was that an air-sampler vehicle was purchased
to facilitate the detection of odours and pollutants in South Durban.
The CLF meets regularly to this day and the engagement continues to be robust and constructive. Topics are still similar to the above and it still has an external facilitator.
A selection of members reflect on their association with SAPREF and the CLF over the years:
South
From ambulances to computer equipmen”
t, they have been integral to our volunteer work in South Durban. We wish SAPREF well as they
celebrate their golden anniversary.
Irene Stainbank and Brenda Lochenburg of Wentworth Aids Action Group.
SAPREF: FUELLING SA FOR 50 YEARS
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