Having worked in open cast platinum and iron ore operations for almost a decade, Solly Bibi understands mining and he understands the potential mining can have on communities.

“My record of community involvement speaks for itself,” says Solly, the Orion Minerals SEF representative for Social Development. As a former community liaison officer, he helped get a stadium re-opened, thereby creating a “diversion” for the youth to through sport.

Solly believes that the construction and operation of the mine will not only create direct and indirect employment opportunities, but also result in increased investment in, or upgrades of, community infrastructure for the benefit of the community.

“I would like my community to prosper and escape the scourge of unemployment and poverty and the other social ills associated with the same,” he says.

He realises that his role on the SEF will come with some challenges including the diversity of the constituencies within the Siyathemba Local Municipality. He says foremost on his agenda is to keep the community informed about the project’s developments and the driving of social development programmes such as the greening of Siyathemba.

The high school dropout rate in the Siyathemba Local Municipal area is concerning for Emily Seekooi, the Orion Minerals SEF representative for unemployment. She says it is harder for those without a high school pass to find decent employment.

With the unemployment rates in the Siyathemba Local Municipal area high, her principal push is for the upskilling of youth and elders. She believes that it is vital that local mines employ the community and that small businesses are also nurtured so that they too can create opportunities for employment.

Prieska born, Emily was raised in Marydale and while she has no formal employment, she is currently serving as a ward committee member. The 40-year-old is an avid reader and sees herself as a good and hardworking member of her community. Assisting the community is what I live for,” she says, adding that she would like to become a ward councillor or mayor one day.

Aside from the employment opportunities that will be created by Orion Minerals’ Prieska Project, she is hopeful that the company will set up a bursary scheme or create internships at the project.

Serving the community and playing an active and progressive role in addressing the challenges that exist in society is at the heart of George Plaatjies motivation to serve on the Orion Minerals Stakeholder Engagement Forum

“I would like to see communities moving to the next level and also improving their lifestyles,” says George.

Passionate about capacity building, the 49-year old father of two anticipates challenges in his role, among them a lack of resources, trust and respect. He feels regular interaction is needed to improve police and community relations.

“We need a more united and integrated approach,” he says, adding that local government departments of safety, the police, security firms and neighbourhood watches should be working closer together to achieve a greater impact.

Born in Prieska, George is confident and positive. He believes that action speaks louder than words when making a difference in a community. His motto is therefore fitting – SEE, HEAR and ACT.

Passionate about his community, August Mouers, believes that the Orion Minerals Stakeholder Engagement Forum (SEF) will be a vehicle for him to not only serve his community, but also share their ideas.

August was born in Prieska and is married with five children. The 53-year old former undertaker prides himself on being the eyes and ears of the community and on understanding the needs of others. He feels that by sitting on the SEF, he will give his people a voice.

“I want to be there for the hopeless,” he says. Of his hopes for the future, he says he wants to be part of a healthy and safe community.

A safe and healthy community is Cecil Skeffer’s hope for the future. As a community representative for social development, Cecil believes the community should jointly decide on social projects undertaken by companies.

The community is impatient, says Cecil, who was born in Marydale. So, it is helpful that they are informed of the progress being made not only on the Prieska Project itself, but also on a social development level.

“A bottom up approach works best,” he says.

Cecil believes that education, employment and small business development will be some of the positive regional spinoffs coming out of the Prieska Project development.

The 57-year-old father of four is a University of Cape Town development study graduate and he has worked as a social development specialist as well as with the Department of Justice as a court manager.

Wilson Bosman believes the development of projects and businesses in the Northern Cape will go a long way towards shifting the reliance regional communities have on state employment and social grants.

The 34-year-old entrepreneur and transport manager says the Prieska Project itself will change the stature and status of these towns, providing traditionally rural communities with the opportunity to compete for nationally allocated development budgets.

“It will reform the integrity and dignity (of the towns), restore their confidence and ignite participation in social and economic activities,” says Wilson.

With the empathy and willpower needed to fulfil his role, Wilson discourages dependency and entitlement mentalities, which he feels leads to unfruitful expenditure that is anti-developmental.

Small businesses are drawn to easier, often already saturated markets and they lack the depth of skills and experience to take on more established enterprises, he says.

Being unable to compete directly with big business, smaller companies are driven out of greed and desperation to compete across sectors, scramble for every available strategic buyout and rush to tie up with partners, he noted. 

Wilson feels this approach needs to change. We need to establish “think factories”, groom change makers and inspire entrepreneurship, he says.

“I strongly believe that a community involved in sport is a community with a very low crime rate and lower rates of drugs and alcohol abuse because sports bring communities together,” says Ben Monokali, who is the community representative for sports and recreation.

Ben says that when a child is participating in sport, he has less time to get lured into negative company. He says sports also offers those young people who are not academically inclined an alternative way to earn a living.

The 35-year old father of three is currently working as an Immigration Officer at the Department of Home Affairs but was previously the hub coordinator at the Department of Sports, Art & Culture. He says the lack sporting facilities at schools and in the communities, the absence of potential sponsors and the shortage of administrators and coaches for different sporting codes has been a challenge for the community.

Ben believes that every person who desires to showcase their talent should be given the opportunity to do so. He says the development and promotion of sports will contribute to the economy of the towns near the project. “It will also create more opportunities for children to pursue their dreams in sport,” he says.

Community representative for religious groups, 54-year old Giel McDonald was born in Prieska and lived in Kliphuis until his parents were forced to move in the 70s. After high school he went to what was then called the Transvaal to work as a boilermaker.

In 1985, Giel returned to Prieska and for three years held down a variety of jobs, including work as a shop assistant at a general dealer and later an assistant manager at an insurance company.

But his passion was always serving the community and the church. A community-elected councillor who served two five-year terms, Giel believed the church is central in building a healthy community.

“The church in its capacity as a social institution, can improve morals and moral values,” says Giel. "l therefore stand for spiritual advancement."

Giel has been active in the community for the last 30 years. He has served on community forums, a school governing body, a church leaders forum and within political structures.
“ln the year 2000 the community elected me as councillor at the Siyathemba Municipality,” says Giel, adding that in the five years he was a councillor he had the opportunity to attend many courses, thereby improving his skills and experience.

In 2002, he was elected as deputy chairperson of the community police forum and chairperson of Mother Theresa Hospice. He served a second term as a councillor elected between 2011 and 2016.

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Ward committee member in Niekerkshoop for 13 years, Mary-Ann Sia is passionate about educating young and old alike. She teaches school children computer skills at the library where she works, is a Sunday school teacher and works with the elders within her religious community.

“I’m currently working with our elders in our church and as a volunteer in our community, teaching elders to read and write,” says Mary-Ann, who adds that she would love to see new developments in the community, including a centre for the elderly. Such a centre could host meetings, choir meetings, arrange exercises and provide skills training for the elderly and community at large.

Mary-Ann has dreams of becoming a community librarian. She hopes to start a four-year diploma next year. “I want to teach the children and the elders the principles of learning and reading. I also want to be a motivational speaker one day,” she says.

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