Insert: One of the placards held up by the marchers.
GA MAMPA – More than 2 000 community members, mostly youths, gathered at the Sefateng Chrome Mine last Thursday to hand over a memorandum of demands.
The protesters say they were fed up with the mine sidelining local communities by hiring outsiders. They also complained about the mine not doing enough to develop nearby villages.
According to the memorandum, the locals want the removal of William Mampa who is representing the community on the board of directors at the mine.
“We demand Mampa to be released with immediate effect from all duties at our Sefateng Chrome Mine management board, recruitment committees and also from the community trust that is funded by Sefateng.
“We are establishing a new trust with new governing rules in which all of us will have input on how it is going to be managed,” the protesters revealed.
The communities also accused the mine of nepotism claiming they hired their workers behind closed doors.
“How can the mine hire foreigners in our communities while we are suffering?” the protesters questioned. “The posts must be advertised so that everyone can have a chance.”
Some of their demands included that the local high school, Seroletshidi, be moved to another location as they claimed the learners were being disturbed by the occasional blasting at the mine.
The communities issued a list of priorities that needed urgent attention. These included that the mine provided local businesses with tenders, revival of the social labour plan and that it provided skills development to locals.
The mine was given 21 days to respond to the memorandum. John Daily, Sefateng’s business leader, assured the crowd that he would submit the memorandum to their board. He promised to provide feedback to the communities.
