TCLM protestors demand job creation in mining region
The protesters were made up of Mashishing (extensions two and nine) and Skhila residents, part of the greater Lydenburg area.
The Lydenburg Amalgamated Forum (LAF) of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) held a peaceful protest against the lack of service delivery. The protest took place on Wednesday July 13. It received permission to protest on Monday July 11 and stores in the central business district were closed for a few hours. A memorandum with the forum’s grievances was handed over to Friddah Nkadimeng, executive mayor of TCLM.
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“The forum is not politically aligned or affiliated with an organisation. We are prepared to work, but opportunities are being taken away from Lydenburg. We are frustrated with the lack of skills transfer and the lack of procurement from the mines,” said Sello Malibe, chairperson LAF. The social labour plan (SLP) of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality clearly states that the community must benefit from skills development within the Limpopo and Mpumalanga mining region.
“Schools must be upgraded and houses must be provided with water and sanitation. But nothing is happening in Mashishing and Skhila. Once a company is awarded mining rights, the social and labour plans it submits becomes a binding legal document. If you take the living conditions of the majority of our residents into account, the SLP is being ignored by TCLM,” said Malibe. TCLM didn’t provide comment relating to the matter by the time going to press.
