A milestone was made when Mpumi Zikalala, Kumba Iron Ore’s CEO, became the first CEO of a mining company to meet with the leaders or Dikgosi of the Northern Cape Province House of Traditional Leaders in Kuruman. The purpose of the meeting was to formalise relationships and discuss social development in the area.
Zikalala pledged a donation of R1 million for various projects which will have a direct impact on the communities in John Taolo GaetseweDistrict – Northern Cape. The financial package will be provided bySishen Mine and the implementation of the projects will be managed by the Traditional Council. Sishen announced another exciting project as a result of the engagement – it will support the traditional leaders on a profiling project that will capture the cultural heritage of the eight Dikgosi in an insightful manner.
Maintaining relations
Zikalala further expressed her eagerness to build and maintain relations with these leaders. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting with the Dikgosi. It is important that we engage with traditional leadership to plot the way forward on how we can work together to ensure social development that benefits our communities. My team will maintain an open channel of communication with the Traditional Council,” she said.
Bridging the gap
“We are delighted with the outcome of the meeting. The mining industry plays an integral role in our communities. It is therefore a great opportunity to engage directly with the CEO of Kumba Iron Ore to bridge the gap between traditional leadership and the mine. This was indeed the first time that we have met with the CEO of a mining company and we hope that it will not be the last time,” said Kgosi PP Toto – Batlharo ba ga Motlhware/Chairperson of the Traditional Council situated in Batlharos.
