Sasol Secunda Operations – Partnering for community transformation

PARTNERING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES
We further focus on the empowerment of local businesses to play an active role in our province’s economy.

All these are done through active engagements and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure sustainable value co-creation in our local communities. In the previous year the company had community engagements in the Govan Mbeki, Lekwa and Dipaleseng municipalities as part of our commitment to nding solutions to the challenges faced by our communities.

These communities have benetted from various social investments such as infrastructure development, education and skills development as well as social development programmes. In this article we will share information about the Social Labour Plan (SLP), education and social development programmes the company is doing. SASOL HIV AND

AIDS COMMUNITY SUPPORT INITIATIVE
Sasol supports the National Strategic Plan for HIV and AIDS, STIs and TB. We work within our fence line communities to complement the work done by government and civil society to drive prevention, enablement, support and care. We remain a committed partner in the ght against HIV/AIDS, informed by the UNAIDS 90/90/90 targets.

In January 2016 we started a pilot project to promote testing, counselling, referral and adherence to treatment in the communities of Mkhondo, Lekwa and Govan Mbeki. Highveld East AIDS Project Support (HEAPS) an NGO is contracted by Sasol to render the service to these communities.

People reached through the project to date:
• 269 655 people have been reached through door-to-door awareness activity
• 52 426 people have been screened and tested for HIV, TB and STIs
• 24 236 have been identied and referred for treatment
• 3644 people have been reached through the HIV/Aids Sasol shutdown project

HEAPS also rendered health screening and testing services at the recent Mpumalanga Regional TRIPARTITE Forum Women in Mining Workshop. Our partners in the implementation of this initiative are the Department of Health, Mkhondo, Lekwa and GMM Local AIDS Councils, Health Social Partners and Civil Society Organisations.

PALLIATIVE HOME BASED CARE
Sasol, in partnership with the Department of Health and Project Support Association of South Africa (PSASA), aims to enhance the ability of 80 home – based caregivers in the Govan Mbeki municipal area to care for and support those infected and aected by HIV/ AIDS; ultimately impacting positively on the spread of HIV and TB.

ORPHAN AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN PROGRAMME IN DIPALESENG AND GOVAN MBEKI MUNICIPALITIES
For the fourth consecutive year, Sasol handed over funding to the Orphan and Vulnerable Children programme (OVC). Through its collaboration with FAMSA and Topsy Foundation, Sasol identied the need to support 176 orphan and vulnerable children in the Dipaleseng, eMbalenhle and Leandra communities. Through this programme the company aims to reduce the social burdens of this vulnerable group of children.

Since its inception the programme has seen the establishment of 40 home and eight communal food gardens, provision of school uniforms, cooked meals three days a week for 176 children, monthly food parcels for the most indigent households as well as regular psychological, spiritual and educational support.

YOUTH DRUG PREVENTION AND MORALE REGENERATION PROGRAMME
Sasol got involved in this programme in 2015 when Mkhondo Alathia Rehabilitation Centre (MARC) approached the company to assist with combating the high volumes of drug related challenges in eMbalenhle. The programme equips young people with skills to make the right choices and educate them on consequences of drug use. This programme is active in eight schools in eMbalenhle, ve primary schools and three high schools.

Sasol also provided the counselling facility to promote the respect and dignity of persons aected by substance abuse.

CAPACITY BUILDING FOR COMMUNITY BASED ORGANISATIONS / NON PROFIT MAKING ORGANISATIONS (NPO)
Sasol Secunda, in partnership with the community and the Department of Social Development, have identied a need for local civil society organisations /Non Prot Organisations to be capacitated.

In response to this challenge Sasol and the Department of Social Development introduced a three phased programme to assist organisations in the community to become empowered and compliant in the delivery of basic social welfare services. This partnership to date has delivered 46 capacitated Community Based Organisations in the Govan Mbeki Municipal area with the majority being Early Childhood Development Centres.

SASOL FOR GOOD | EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING PROGRAMME
The Sasol for Good Programme is a vehicle through which Sasol supports and encourages employees to become more involved in their communities by volunteering their time, skills and personal resources in initiatives that drive positive change and impact the quality of life in the communities.

Annually the company has various programmes planned to encourage the employees to volunteer. These include Casual Day in support of persons living with disabilities, 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, CANSA Shavathon and Mandela Day commemorations.

MANDELA DAY
During this year’s Mandela Day Sasol employees and other business partners took action to improve the learning environment at one of the local schools, Tholukwazi Primary School, by refurbishing four classrooms.

The classrooms were refurbished after a recent re that burned down part of the school. The partners were Maleleza Trading Enterprise, Servest, Bophelong Construction, Rothe Plantscapers, Junction PTY Ltd, Sisanza Business Consultants, Gull Air Projects, and Libra Landscapers in repairing these classrooms. Furthermore, Sasol employees assisted in cultivating the school’s food gardens.

CASUAL DAY
During September Sasol Secunda employees successfully raised R32 000 in donations by participating in Casual Day 2017. The beneciaries of this amount are Osizweni (Leslie) and Basizeni (eMbalenhle) schools for learners with special educational needs.

SASOL MINING EMPLOYEE HOUSING
Sasol Mining has a policy to promote aordable home ownership for low income employees. During a survey conducted by Sasol Mining it was found that a severe housing shortage exists at the lower income levels, often referred to as the gap market. In order to make the housing aordable, Sasol Mining had to evaluate various options including subsidising township development and construction.

Sasol Mining further intends to construct around 500 houses in eMbalenhle and another 98 in Secunda by 2020. To date 22 houses in Secunda Extension 23 have been completed for lower income employees.

This housing project also beneted local communities in terms of skills training and local workers receive certicates after completion of the projects in which they were employed. The construction material and services are, as far as possible, sourced from local suppliers. Upon completion of the projects and handover to the Govan Mbeki Municipality, Sasol Mining implements a monitoring and evaluation programme for one year in order to ensure that the projects continue to provide sustainable services to the communities.

SIYAZENZELA YOUTH IN BUSINESS PROGRAMME
The high unemployment rate amongst the youth is alarming and the eect thereof is a daily reality in the communities where Sasol operates, especially in the towns of Sasolburg and Secunda. Research has concluded that entrepreneurship is one of the most likely vehicles to create job opportunities for the youth.

The South African government has also emphasised this in their Youth Enterprise Development Strategy (2013 – 2023) and Sasol therefore continuously seeks opportunities to partner with government, community structures and other stakeholders to add value to the enhancement of people’s lives in the communities within which it operates.

One of the programmes employed by Sasol in the creation of future entrepreneurs is the Siyazenzela Youth in Business Programme. The target audience in this programme is youth in general, but specically those with disabilities who aspire to be entrepreneurs.

The programme equips them with life skills as well as entrepreneurial and work experience within the business environment. It incorporates small business development for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME’s) providing support in small business development and business managerial skills. It entails six months of full time training focussing on youth within the Govan Mbeki Municipal area in Mpumalanga.

Sasol has partnered with the Govan Mbeki Municipality, National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) and Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) on this project. There are already 55 youth graduates from this programme made up of 18 existing businesses, wherein 24 business directors were trained, and 24 start-up businesses, wherein 31 business directors were trained. Recently on Thursday, 14 September, Sasol hosted a networking session for the Siyazenzela Youth In Business programme. This was Sasols second of the three networking events planned for 2017. Networking events allow the businesses on the programme and those that have graduated to share experiences and grow their own networks.

SASOL TECHNO X 2017
Sasol Techno X (STX) is an exhibition that focuses on displays, workshops, tours, talks and hands-on activities aimed at enthusing learners, students and the general public about the endless possibilities oered by science, mathematics and technology.

Over 26 000 visitors attended the exhibition including Grade 7 to 12 learners from ve provinces (Mpumalanga, Free State, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West) as well as visitors from Lesotho and Mozambique over the ve day period from 31 July to 4 August. Sasol has been the event sponsor for the past 17 years and it was the second year it was hosted in Secunda, Mpumalanga.

Fast facts about Sasol Techno X 2017
• 65 exhibitors participated
• Business opportunities were created for four (4) local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to operate food stalls
• Job opportunities were also created for 257 local youth as buddies and guides to assist exhibitors and learners

In 2018 the exhibition will be held in Sasolburg and will return to Mpumalanga in 2019.