Page 29 - 25 Reasons

HEART

OF THE COMMUNITY

A R3bn relocation project has moved
a community to a brand-new greener This house in Siyathemba in Kathu is one of
500 new homes now occupied by former
space. Biénne Huisman takes a tour residents of Dingleton
PHOTOS: ROSETTA MSIMANGO AND BIÉNNE HUISMAN
n the outskirts of Kathu in the Northern and flowerbeds. Large concrete bins sport
Cape, the new suburb of Siyathemba “Siyathemba, don’t litter” signs.
Osprawls in neat grids over 500 brand-new A nearby park has jungle gyms, benches and
houses, seven churches, police stations, schools trees. The suburb has 17 parks in total.
and a youth centre. During a tour of Siyathemba, Titus explains that
The Siyathemba Youth Centre is a bright two or three trees were planted on each property,
building with free Wi-Fi, a computer centre, depending on its size.
counselling rooms, a foosball table and chess sets This brings the total number of new trees in
inside. Outside is a picnic area with braai facilities. Siyathemba to 2 750 – mostly willows, mountain
There’s also an Astroturf soccer field, where young karee and white stinkwood. One of the new facilities in Siyathemba is a
boys can be seen aiming a ball towards the The company also initiated a rainwater police station
goalposts. harvesting programme which means each house
The youth centre was officially was fitted with a Jojo tank. In
opened on April 16. At the event, addition, each homeowner received a
Themba Mkhwanazi, the chief 17 R15 000 inconvenience allowance, a
executive officer of Anglo American’s curtain allowance and R100 000 as a
iron ore business, Kumba Iron Ore, PARKS community benefit fund.
said that a netball court would also George Maluleke, the general
be built. Pumla Titus, community 2 750 manager of projects at Kumba Iron
liaison for Kumba Iron Ore’s Ore, says negotiations between the
Dingleton resettlement project, says: TREES company, Dingleton’s homeowners
“At the opening, Mr Mkhwanazi said: and local government started in
‘Why is there only a soccer field? 3 400 2007, though the construction of
What about the girls?’ So now a Siyathemba only got under way in
netball court is being built.” PEOPLE 2014. Kitchen staff prepare meals in Siyathemba’s
During a tour of the youth centre’s RELOCATED Dingleton’s residents were given soup kitchen, which feeds 200 people on
grounds, Titus points at tractors that two options. weekdays
are busy levelling the ground for the 200 The first, which 70% opted for, saw
netball court. the company build them a house in
The R3 billion Dingleton ELDERLY Siyathemba, equal in size and quality
resettlement project saw Kumba Iron PEOPLE FED to their Dingleton house – if not
Ore move about 3 400 people from A DAY better. In the second option, those
Dingleton, which is about 20km who did not want to move to
outside Kathu, to Siyathemba. The Siyathemba could choose a payout.
mining company built the new In these cases, the company,
suburb from scratch so that Kumba’s Sishen mine facilitated the purchase of a home elsewhere.
could extend its operations to the Dingleton area. “The principle was that whatever they had in
Siyathemba, which means “we hope”, has its Dingleton, we would replace – like for like – or Kids play on the Astroturf soccer field at the
own community centre and police station. Across improve,” says Maluleke, adding that this is in line youth centre, where a netball court is also
the road from these facilities, a clinic is being built. with the International Finance Corporation’s being built
“The clinic is also a gift from Kumba,” says Titus. standards for resettlement. More than 98% of the
At the community centre, Titus points out the community now lives in new homes.
soup kitchen, where workers are busy preparing “This has been a unique experience. There is a
samp. They feed 200 people a day, some of whom handful of homeowners who are still holding out.
are elderly and are unable to leave their homes. However, we are hopeful we will reach an
These residents have food parcels delivered. agreement soon,” says Maluleke with a smile.
“We have healthcare workers who take the At the opening of the Siyathemba Youth Centre,
meals and the medicine to their homes on Mkhwanazi told the crowd that building
weekdays,” says Titus. communities was about more than houses,
There is also a library lined with books, and a services and roads: “By giving young people access
computer centre with free internet and tables for to cultural and learning facilities, we will give them The Siyathemba Youth Centre is kitted out to
reading. The community hall is fitted with a the opportunities they deserve. And by planting give the community’s young people a place
wooden podium and room dividers. thousands of trees, we are playing our part in to learn new skills, keep active and socialise
Outside, the buildings are surrounded by lawns building a flourishing community.” as well as do their homework
ANGLO AMERICAN 25 REASONS TO BELIEVE 29