Social development

Petmin believes that it is crucial for the company to develop and maintain strong relationships with the communities where its operations are located by promoting employment and the advancement of the social and economic welfare of such communities.

SamQuarz

SamQuarz and McCain Foods Limited, a privately owned multi-national leader in the frozen food industry, have jointly started a project that will see the development of a vegetable farm in the Delmas area. It is anticipated that about 57 permanent jobs and 80 to 100 seasonable jobs will be created for the surrounding community. The aim is that a black economic empowerment grouping will own the farm within five years. During this time, SamQuarz will facilitate job creation, skills development (including business skills development), technology transfer and overall education in relation to all facets of mixed agriculture.

SamQuarz will invest R1.4 million during the five-year period which will be spent on housing for farmworkers, fencing, the upgrading of infrastructure and agricultural equipment.

Springlake

Springlake has donated 20 hectares of land to the Dannhauser Municipality to facilitate the development of low-cost housing for the Ramaphosa community. The government is currently busy with the environmental impact study of the area.

Somkhele

During the four years leading up to the construction of the mine at Somkhele, from 2002 to 2005, extensive consultations were held with the Mpukunyoni Tribal Authority through the Mpukunyoni Mining Committee. This has continued and there are formal communication structures in place. The community has benefited from the following developments:

• the creation of 216 permanent jobs;
• a new tarred access road;
• some 15 kilometres of access roads to ensure safe all-weather access to properties;
• a fully equipped community training centre which is used for community skills training, ABET and public meetings;
• the building of about 350 brick houses for the community, of which 83 have already been completed;
• connections to water, electricity and sewerage services;
• the upgrading of a sports field;
• a 4-hectare cemetery;
• the construction of a dam on the Myinge River; and
• the establishment of the Mpukunyoni Development Trust.

The 216 people employed did not have the skills required for their jobs at the outset – all have been trained and continue to receive training.

Opencast mining at Somkhele is being carried out by a joint venture, 26% is held by the Mpukunyoni Development Company (MDC) and 74% by a contractor. The shares of MDC are held by the Mpukunyoni Development Trust, the beneficiaries of which are the members of the Mpukunyoni community. The contract for transporting anthracite to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal has been awarded to a 100% BEE company which will enter into a joint venture agreement with MDC in which MDC will have a 26% holding.