Vusumuzi Dube
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
CALEDONIA Mining Corporation through its only current operating mine in Zimbabwe, the Blanket Mine has invested more than US$1.5 million towards various community projects which has seen the rehabilitation of schools, improvement of maternal health, provision of energy and improvement of water and sanitation among other facets.
According to Caledonia’s fourth standalone ESG report which covers the reporting period from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023, the company invested US$1.5m in community projects, reaching a 67 percent increase in community investment from 2022.
As part of its community engagement process, and as part of its commitment to share benefits with the local community, Caledonia said each year they make significant investments across seven identified strategic community investment themes or pillars aligned with the SDGs to catalyse development, encourage the growth of a vibrant self-sufficient economy and drive socio-economic upliftment.
“In total we invested more than US$1.5m across these strategic pillars during 2023. Community members submit their requests to the office of the General Manager. We work hard to ensure our local communities feel that their voices are heard, taking requests in person, or via written submission.
“Once we have analysed project requests, we head out into the communities ourselves to understand the issues at hand. We speak with village heads, local residents, and political appointees to compare project ideas Once we have investigated community challenges and project requests, we look for recurring themes and assess which projects will help the most people,” reads the report.
The company said they also work to identify challenges which may be exacerbated if action is not taken soon. Projects with the most potential positive impact and that fit within the seven strategic community investment and strategy pillars are then implemented.
From the report, last year Sitezi was one of the biggest beneficiaries as one of the education investments was the renovation and upgrade of the Sitezi Secondary school.
“We had previously undertaken a project to provide electricity to the school, during which we noted the poor overall conditions of the school and decided to take action. By improving the condition of the school our aim is to improve educational outcomes by enhanced learning through the provision of better facilities, to encourage more students to attend and to help with the retention of teachers at the schools.
“We rehabilitated and restored five classrooms and an administration block. We have focused on improving access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (“STEM”) facilities by providing 15 digital interactive boards and accessories and rehabilitating two computer and science labs. In addition, we also built a sanitation block complete with flush toilets,” reads the report.
The company also invested towards improving maternal health care through the construction of a 10-bed waiting mothers’ shelter at the Sitezi Clinic.
“The shelter provides a comfortable and secure environment for expecting mothers to remain until they are ready to give birth, eliminating the need for strenuous travel during a crucial period in their pregnancy,” reads the report.
The company also invested in energy supply saying although the solar project at Sitezi was not completed in 2023, they have made great progress in providing power to the Sitezi facilities.
“Power lines have been placed to support the Sitezi Waiting Mothers Clinic, the Secondary School, as well as the Enqameni Vocational Training Centre. These lines are currently connected to the local grid, allowing the schools and training centre occasional access to electricity.
“Supplies such as batteries and other accessories needed for the installation have been procured. We have begun clearing the land and preparing the infrastructure for the solar installation, which we expect to be commissioned by mid-2024,” reads the report.
Turning to water and sanitation, the company said it has initiated the Sitezi Water Project, a comprehensive endeavour aimed at improving Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure in the Sitezi community. With a primary focus on providing safe drinking water and upgrading water and sewer systems, the project aims to address critical health and sanitation concerns.
@nyeve14
Online Reporter