A partnership initiated by Anglo American Platinum with the Baphalane Community Trust has been changing the economic fortunes of the villagers for the better.
Not only is Zizwe Batlase Mining a successful joint-venture that provides mining services to the Anglo American Platinum’s Amandelbult Complex, but it also gives the surrounding communities a chance to grow.
The operation is situated on the boarder of Limpopo and North West provinces, near the Thabazimbi area.
Since 2016, Anglo American Platinium has empowered Zizwe Batlase through contracts for mining services at its Amandelbult Complex in Limpopo.
Zizwe Batlase is 51% owned by the Baphalane Community Trust—providing an opportunity for the community to have a stake in the business.
To build on this success, Anglo American Platinum awarded a mining contract worth R491 million to Zizwe Batlase.
This contract is the largest empowerment contract for Anglo American Platinum at its Amandelbult Complex.
“We need operators for our trucks, excavators and other machinery. These are all job opportunities that locals can benefit from. Through this partnership, we create direct and indirect jobs in the local community and train people to operate the specialised machines we use in mining,” said Howard Maimela, founder and chairman of Zizwe Batlase.
Zizwe Batlase and the Baphalane Community Trust have also developed a system which enables community members to suggest development programmes that can be funded from the profits generated by the partnership.
“When people have ideas, they send them through to the traditional structures, and we all get together to consider how we can make the best ideas come to life,” Maimela said.
“Since we came here we have employed many people. At another Anglo American Platinum mine, we partnered with another company and by the time we left the project, they could run on their own. They now manage their own big projects,” Maimela added.
