Company Announcement -ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions has invested in a number of sustainable social projects to assist with the upliftment of the local community of Lephalale, a small coal mining town in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. The development of the nearby Medupi dry-cooled coal-fired power station has led to a strong increase in Lephalale’s population. While the resultant injected growth into the region is much needed, it also brings along new challenges for the local community. To address the situation, South Africa’s electricity public utility, Eskom, has embarked upon an upliftment drive in the region by encouraging its main contractors to Medupi to identify and participate in community projects.
“Eskom is one of our key customers and we were very keen to get involved in this initiative,” says Dietmar Jürges, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions in South Africa. “We take the responsibility to give back to the community very seriously. It is a company legacy that dates back 200 years and it has always been in our roots to support society.” ThyssenKrupp, in close cooperation with Eskom and the Lephalale Development Forum, has supported a host of projects in the region over the past four years.
More recently, the company identified three major sustainable community projects in the region that involve the construction of 60 vegetable tunnels, the donation of libraries to three rural schools and the provision of full bursaries to four qualifying students from the district to study engineering at a South African university. The ThyssenKrupp team visited the region at the end of October 2014 to meet with the local community and to hand over the tunnel and library investment projects.
ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions invests in the Lephalale
Charles Herbert, Electrical, Control & Instrumentation Head of Department at ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa explains that the vegetable tunnels are supplied in pre-packed kits, complete with all the necessary tools to equip local emerging small-scale farmers to produce high quality vegetables. “The tunnels are specifically developed for controlled crop growth and minimal use of pesticides, fertilizer and water. To encourage sustainability, the tunnel kits include onsite formalised SETA accredited training on subjects such as Plant Physiology, Soil Fertilisation and Basic Plant Nutrition. The farmers are also given onsite mentorship and support during the first year.”
Four suitable tunnel sites were identified with nearby access to water, and tomatoes, spinach and beetroot were chosen as the most suitable crops to plant due to their hardiness and high suitability for a tunnel environment. Reporting on the success of the vegetable tunnels, Charles says that the tunnels provide the local farmers with an income and have created 23 jobs for unemployed people in the community. “We are also proud of the fact that three of the four vegetable tunnel sites are owned and managed by ladies.”
The first 10 vegetable tunnels were constructed in March 2014 in Abbotspoort (Mokuruanyane), a community farm managed by Queen Langa. The erection at the end of September 2014 of 15 tunnels at Grietas Vlakte, run by Ivey, brings the total number of tunnels to 60 with Johannes looking after 10 tunnels at Mokolo, and Thabitha Chauke managing 25 tunnels at Tlakakwena-Rooipoort.
Thabitha’s Kedithabitha Agriculture Project is a family business that produces a thriving tomato crop and 1.5 tonnes of spinach and beetroot per week which is supplied to local shops in the town. During the official handover ceremony at Kedithabitha on 23rd October 2014, Thabitha thanked ThyssenKrupp for this opportunity to participate in the program. “I make a personal promise that when you visit again you will see success; we will work hard to grow the business even bigger and to replace poverty by creating jobs.
ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions invests in the Lephalale
Yesterday there was nothing but today there is something and tomorrow is a bright future, thanks to ThyssenKrupp.” Queen Langa also extended her thanks to ThyssenKrupp for giving her children this opportunity. As a token of her appreciation, Thabitha handed out freshly picked tomatoes and spinach to the ThyssenKrupp team.
The next stop was the nearby Mosima 2 Primary School to hand over the Mandela Day library. The libraries are constructed from converted 12 m shipping containers by unemployed residents of Orange Farm, South Africa’s largest informal settlement, which creates jobs and teaches residents trades such as cutting and welding. Each container library is stocked with books appropriate to the location, age and needs of the children. These libraries are part of the Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom campaign and a total of 70 libraries have been installed at schools around the country since 2011. On average, each library reaches approximately 925 pupils.
According to Robert Coutts, CEO of Mandela Bangles, there are 22 500 schools in South Africa that do not have libraries. “With this sponsorship ThyssenKrupp is making a very important investment in the future of the learners by giving them a tool to be responsible for themselves.” The handover was celebrated with an official ribbon cutting ceremony and School Principal M.A. Lerumo thanked ThyssenKrupp for their support.
“This important initiative continues the legacy of Nelson Mandela who placed great emphasis on the important role of education,” said Dietmar. “There are challenges in education in South Africa but this project is proof of one way in which government and business are working together successfully to overcome these challenges.”
ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions invests in the Lephalale
In closing Dietmar said that ThyssenKrupp is proud to be associated with these worthy community drives. “I wish to assure the Lephalale community of our continued support and commitment to do more to assist in the upliftment of the region.”