Gold and Uranium Belt Impact Censoring Organisation GUBICO ‹ › Home View web version Monday, 18 March 2013 Gold and Uranium Belt Impact Censoring Organisation (GUBICO) at 02:46 Virginia Community Mass Protest Memorandum to Matjhabeng Municipality 15 March 2013 We hereby bring you Memorandum of Demands and key grievances handed over to Government Demarcation Representatives on the morning of 15th March 2013 by agry and disillusioned residents of Virginia in Free State Province of South Africa. At the time this was posted there had not been confirmation of whether the organisers of the mass protest were finally able to present the memo to Matjhabeng Municipality. It is also unfortunate that we learned that after the peaceful protest as the people dispersed there were few opportunists who committed criminal acts and fortunately some of them were apprehended by the police. This lead to organisers of the mass protest to end up in a police station as the police wanted to accredit those hooligans to the people meeting, however organisers were exonerated as this was a clear bad element who wanted to put the collective decision of the people into disrepute and those criminal ended in police custody. The memo reads as follows: LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 1. HARMONY GOLD MINE The largest Gold mining company in the world started mining in Virginia more than 60 years back, before Matjhabeng was formed and it was granted permission to mine under mining charter that they failed to comply with, thus: As Virginia we demand the following: · Virginia as mining town which endured more than 60 years of profitable mining period, leave too much to be desired in comparison to revenue generated by Mining Conglomerates like Harmony. We demand that Harmony plough back in the community it profited from, to alleviate economic deterioration and decay going on unabated. · We demand SMME Trainings and development. · We demand creation of Virginia Trust Fund for local SMME with the intention of creating employment for local community, which would be run by the local appointed commercial bank. · We demand renovations and convention of its old hostels into housing units, offices and Multi-Purpose Community Centres and plants to be converted into Industrial and Commercial Centres. · We demand that local suppliers in the database to be upgraded to the higher level. · We demand Matjhabeng DMR and Harmony to involved Virginia public in their development process. 2. MATJHABENG LED · Matjhabeng LED has failed Virginia, Hennenman and Ventersburg dismally in the year of its existence, only Welkom; Ondendalrus and Allenrige have benefited from the IDP, Virgina sidelined for reasons best known to them. · Matjhabeng DMR is deliberately embarking on delaying tactics strategy with regard to granting WITS GOLD MINING rights and licencing, because of proposed opening of Shaft mine in Virginia not Welkom; Ondendalrus or Allenridge. · Matjhabeng Municipality does not bother to attend public hearing meetings of WITS GOLD which can be economic sigh of relief for rapidly impoverishing Virginia Community. · Virginia, Hennenman and Venterburg were deliberately deprived economic development the following serves as practical examples: 1. Goldfields Casino initially destined for Virginia was unilaterally moved to Welkom at the behest of the Matjhabeng LED. 2. Depriving Virginia an opportunity of erection of the Largest hall of Fame in the Province in honour of Virginia born Rugby Legend Naas Botha. 3. Deliberately sabotaging plans to establish Tata Motor Corporation Assembly plant in Virginia, despite clear cut advantage of railway line passing through Virginia for better distribution of final product. Instead Welkom was deemed a favourable destination by Matjhabeng LED. 4. Deliberately sabotaging plans by Matjhabeng LED to build a coal mine between Hennenman and Ventersburg only because proposed site was not in Welkom. The said coal Mine should have long been in operation as we speak. 5. The Gas Project at one of the Harmony shaft to produce gas for vehicles which are increasingly becoming motorist latest relief. 6. Wits Gold Mine which was supposed to be operational by April 2013 in Virginia, thanks to the courtesy of Matjhabeng LED all because the shafts were not going to be opened in Welkom 7. Virginia CBD has literally become a ghost town resulting in massive job losses and therefore increase unemployment level in Virginia and surrounding towns TIKWE BUSINESS FORUM, STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITIES OF VIRGINIAL, HENNENMAN AND VENTERBURG MEMORANDUM You are hereby notified subsequent marches will follow in Hennenman and Ventersburg in the near future. Community of Virginia, Hennenman and Ventersburg hereby demand separate creation Tikwe Municipality comprising of the above towns because of the following reasons: 1. Lack of Municipal Services Delivery such as consistent water- cuts, always delayed removal of waste, bucket system in some towns and continuous electricity cuts. 2. Economic deterioration of these three towns due to don’t-care attitude of Matjabeng Municipality. 3. Near collapsed of roads infrastructure in the three towns, big pot-holes are a norm, yet Welkom infrastructure is always in good conditions. 4. Harmony Gold Mine comply with Social Labour Plan (SLP) as prescribed in the Mining Charter. 5. Non-existence of SASSA Offices accessible to local communities 6. Failure to come up with tangible, self-sustainable economic development plan for these three towns, except Welkom. 7. Convening of Public Hearings by Municipal Demarcation Board to address our Demands. This Memorandum further wants to make it clear to our leaders that failure to accede to our demands will leave us with no choice but to: 1. Not participate in coming National, Provincial and Local Elections. 2. Unleash full Scale and rolling Mass actions. 3. Bring the said three towns to an economic standstill Matjhabeng is hereby given seven days to respond to our demands. Memorandum was to be received by Matjhabeng Municipality, National Public Protector and COGTA
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 08:28:20 +0000
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