Sishen tackles two social challenges : Littering and unemployment

09 February 2021

Kumba Iron Ore’s Sishen mine followed a creative approach in addressing both littering and unemployment simultaneously in the local community.

“We appointed a local cleaning contractor, who employs 30 unemployed youth from the affected areas, to run a clean-up operation from the end of December to the end of January,” said George Benjamin, Sishen’s Public Affairs Manager.

The combined effort made a real difference, not only in people’s lives, but also in the environment. They collected 60 refuse bags of litter in Siyathemba per day, 80 in Kathu per day and 200 at Mapoteng per day – mostly at illegal dumping sites.

“We have experienced that the community was dumping refuse overnight at the same spot cleaned the day before. This meant going back repeatedly, showing our determination to keeping our streets clean,” Mr Benjamin said.

The team of cleaners were tasked to pick up litter in identified spots, clear illegal dumping sites, clear shrubs encroaching on the roads, and dumping the litter at the municipal dumping site.

This project was initiated and funded by Sishen after impact studies undertaken by the Socio-Economic Development (SED) team had indicated that littering had a serious impact on the community and the environment. Another cleaning project was approved for a year to cover the entire Gamagara municipal area, including Kathu (Siyathemba and Mapoteng), Olifantshoek, Deben and Babatas starting possibly middle February.

Ogone M Resources, based in Kuruman, was appointed to manage the new project. They appointed eight unemployed young people from Siyathemba, 11 from Mapoteng and 11 from Kathu to implement the project.

Kumba Iron Ore communications