North West: North West Premier Lazarus Kagiso Mokgosi has applauded Harmony Gold for an investment of R1.5 billion at its Stilfontein operations in the City of Matlosana. The investment is a culmination of ongoing efforts by Mokgosi to lure investments and address the scourge of unemployment in the province.
According to South African Government News Agency, earlier this year, Premier Mokgosi met with the company’s Executive Management on the side-lines of the Africa Mining Indaba to discuss a number of issues relating to diversification, localisation, and SMME development. The provincial government highlighted that this initiative, which will create several job opportunities for the people of the province, adds to R7 billion worth of investment by the mine in 2022, which includes an extension of Moab-Khotsong operations at Stilfontein.
Mokgosi stated that the investment supports the government’s efforts of fostering partnerships with various stakeholders to create an enabling environment for investment and job creation. He emphasized that this is part of a broader strategy by the government to encourage investments in the province, expressing confidence that as more investments come in, several more job and business opportunities will be created, helping to reduce the high unemployment figures in the province.
Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Beyers Nel mentioned that the renewable energy investment is part of Harmony Gold’s long-term investment and diversification strategy. He noted that through their R7 billion investment in 2022, they managed to preserve 6,000 jobs for locals, extending the mine’s lifespan by 20 years. In 2020, the acquisition of Mine Waste Solutions led to an investment of over R2 billion, creating close to 2,500 jobs, 70% of which were filled by locals.
Mokgosi praised the mine and urged them to support the Province’s Development Fund, primarily aimed at addressing infrastructure backlogs in the province.