In May 2023, Nkwe Platinum, Zijin Mining’s subsidiary in South Africa, handed over its community water supply project. "Water pipelines now reach our doorsteps, bringing much-needed ‘relief’ to the villagers and making life easier. Community members are very happy," said the chief of the Komane tribe with excitement.
Like many poor villages in Africa, communities near Nkwe’s Garatau Mine, a platinum group metals project, faced major challenges in accessing clean drinking water. For generations, villagers had no clean water and had to spend money on water, worsening their already difficult economic situation. Those who could not afford to buy water had to drink river water.
Zijin Mining's Nkwe project cares about the well-being of local communities. With South Africa grappling with water shortages and increasing cholera cases caused by unclean drinking water, the project acted to address the communities’ need for clean water.
In May 2021, Nkwe launched a community water supply project, investing over 12 million Rand over two years. The project involved building and renovating 31 wells, installing 52 water tanks, and laying water pipelines, creating 72 jobs in the process.
As a result, more than 10,000 residents in four nearby communities now have access to 320,000 liters of clean water daily, ending the tough routines of fetching water on foot.
Additionally, because municipal electricity could not power the water system in the Ga-Mphuru village, Nkwe innovatively built the area's first solar-powered water supply system. This system, which operates independently off the grid, powers the water pumps and the safety fences around the water facilities.
At the handover ceremony, Sekhukhune District Executive Mayor Maleke Mokganyetji expressed her satisfaction, saying, "The Garatau project has given us hope and set a benchmark for other projects. It encourages other mines to better implement social labor plans and benefit more communities." She also noted with pleasure that the project had completely addressed issues caused by water scarcity in the communities.
Translator:Jian Reviser: Li Yuanxing Editor-in-Chief: Wang Jie
Sobre Zijin Mining
Zijin Mining es una empresa líder mundial en el sector de metales y minería, y uno de los mayores productores globales de oro, cobre y zinc. Con más de 30 operaciones y proyectos mineros de gran escala distribuidos en 19 países y 5 continentes, la compañía aprovecha sus sólidas capacidades internas de investigación, ingeniería y desarrollo para mantener una alta eficiencia operacional y bajos costos, tanto en adquisiciones como en operaciones.
Este enfoque le ha permitido consolidarse como referente en la creación de valor, respaldado por su filosofía de desarrollo compartido y sustentado por un desempeño superior en materia ambiental, social y de gobierno corporativo. Las acciones de Zijin cotizan en la Bolsa de Hong Kong (HKEX: 2899) y en la Bolsa de Shanghai (SSE: 601899).