Modern Mining June 2016

CSR/GREEN MINING

Lesedi Community Centre refurbished

T hanks to Ivanplats, an Ivanhoe Mines com- pany, together with on site project manage- ment and quantity surveying assistance from Turner & Townsend, the Lesedi Community Centre near Mokopane in Polokwane has un- dergone a complete refurbishment to the tune of approx- imately R2 million. The centre is situated off the N11, about 10 km north-west of Mokopane. The centre – which first opened its doors in 2010 – is aptly named as Lesedi, which means ‘light’ in Tswana. Its main focus is to provide physical, educational, financial, nutritional and emotional support to the orphans and vul- nerable children and their families in the nearby villages of Kgobudi, Sekgoboko and Malepetleke. Over and above the 101 orphans and vulnerable chil- dren cared for, Lesedi also looks after 62 patients with chronic illnesses, operating out of a building which was donated by the local community. Ivanplats’ Werner Botha, senior projects manager, social and legal compliance and project lead on the Lesedi refurbishment, and Manny Dos Ramos, senior manager, strategic support and project manager for Lesedi, say the refurbishment project was undertaken by Ivanplats in response to the company’s strategic social responsibil- ity commitments to the communities around its Platreef mine, which is currently under development. Adds Raphael Baiden, associate director, Turner & Townsend: “Due to our involvement in the main mining contract, we were approached by Ivanplats to assist with providing quantity surveying services on the refurbish- ment project. As part of our CSR commitment to add value and make a real difference to local communities, we were delighted to undertake this work. Previously we have assisted with a similar refurbishment project at the Tharullo drop-in centre in Mokopane, also through Ivanplats, where a funding proposal was compiled for the Japanese Government, and which kicked off in March 2016.” All in all, the three-month Lesedi project to renovate, restore, rejuvenate and recondition the centre required 4 257 bricks, 60 bags of cement, 5 m³ of building sand,

Seen on site during the Lesedi refurbishment project are (from left) Palesa Ma- belane, graduate quantity surveyor; Luthando Jele, graduate quantity surveyor; Raphael Baiden, associate director mining and metals for Turner & Townsend; and Werner Botha, senior projects manager, Ivanplats. 87 m³ of concrete and a crew of 15 providing some 4 350 man hours. As a result the local community now has access to a flour- ishing vegetable garden, a mini-soccer field with astro turf, a netball court, and play area with a jungle gym. The building has been completely refurbished and furnished, including school benches, chairs and a gas stove. 

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Community members enjoy the newmini-soccer field at Lesedi Commu- nity Centre.

June 2016  MODERN MINING  51