by Rebecca Selomo – The residents of Tshamahansi, Magongoa, Moshate and Mahwelereng demand a labour desk at Ivanplaat mine, in order to ensure that the employment of local people by the mine is well managed. This came as a result of outcry from residents of various communities that current recruitment of local people for employment is done through various traditional authorities. That has led to other community members feeling disgruntled and sidelined.
The above mentioned communities have been mobilized to picket outside the premises of Ivanplaat mine for the whole week to submit what their memorandum to what they call a labour desk.
The mine then issued a statement that said they don’t have a labour desk, their recruitment is done through their website. At this point there is no clear indication about what is going to happen to the data already submitted to the labour desk.
This demonstrates the dire economic situation that our communities find themselves in, with their hopes pinned on the mine as the biggest economic driver. The communities themselves do not have a comprehensible development plan which aims to liberate them from poverty and unemployment. That is the main reason why there will always be a conflict public representatives, civil society and traditional leaders within communities.
A recommendation is therefore that communities affected by mining must start engaging about their development plans. This will assure them that they become part of any developmental initiative and employment decisions. Community leaders to strive for unity at all fronts within the community and develop conflict management strategies. They must exercise impartiality in conflicts that exist between civil society organizations and traditional authorities, that will be only when they can hold mining houses and government accountable on issues affecting them.
