Doornkop residents march on Harmony Gold Mine over jobs and local benefits

Unemployed residents from Slovoville, Lufhereng, Greenvillage, and nearby areas joined the Umkhonto weSizwe Johannesburg Region in a peaceful march on January 16, demanding employment opportunities.

The march culminated at Harmony Gold Mine in Doornkop, where participants delivered a memorandum of demands.

The march began at Ematayereni informal taxi rank and was monitored by the SAPS and the JMPD.

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Upon arrival at the mine, Umkhonto weSizwe Johannesburg Region Ward 53 chairperson, Bonginkosi Mkhatshwa, read out the memorandum to Harmony Gold Mine management before signing it.

The memorandum stated that the community is demanding employment opportunities for residents, as well as bursaries, learnerships, internships, skills development, and support for SMMEs.

“The high unemployment rate in our communities has left us feeling that we can no longer accept the continued hiring of people from outside the province, while we, as the host communities, remain spectators. This situation is no longer sustainable.”Although we acknowledge the efforts you have made to absorb a few SMMEs from our community, we feel excluded from meaningful business opportunities with your company,” said Mkhatshwa, reading from the memorandum.

The memorandum further states that the community expects a response from the mine management within seven working days.

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Johannesburg regional chairperson of Umkhonto weSizwe, Sandile Ngcobo, told Urban News that their march to the mine was to remind the management of the Social Labour Plan (SLP), which the mine is required by law to implement.

He said the SLP addresses many issues, including how the local community can benefit from the economic activities taking place in its area.

“A number of people in our community are unemployed. We received several complaints that, at the end of business at this mine, only a handful of people return to the community. The majority of workers, who are immigrants, are living in the compound, “said Ngcobo.

In representation of Harmony Gold Mine, senior stakeholder relations manager Morwesi Lekaota accepted and signed the memorandum.

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A protester from Snake Park, Sibongile Khumalo, said she believes the march will make a difference and create employment opportunities for locals.

“I decided to be part of this march because we, as the youth, are suffering. It’s hard for us to find jobs while opportunities exist, but are occupied by foreigners. I have been unemployed since finishing matric in 2015, and it has been very difficult,” said Khumalo.