Emalahleni Local Municipality in partnership with the National Union of Mine workers, Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited, Department of Education and school management gathered at Ntsonkotha Senior Secondary School to verify areas that needs major renovations. The programme was initiated by NUM during the election campaign period responding to the request that was made by Ntsonkotha Senior Secondary School.

The session was chaired by Her Worship Mayor Nomveliso Nyukwana and she welcomed all the guests and expressed words of gratitude. She said “It is paramount to ensure that rural development taken into consideration to improve lives of rural communities. We are very grateful for the intervention made by NUM and Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited”.

Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited committed to do the renovations after they verified the areas that need to be renovated responding to the request that was made by NUM asking them to sponsor the renovations at Ntsonkotha Senior Secondary School.

Harmony Gold Mining Company made the commitment to help with the renovations because they believe Emalahleni Local Municipality is among the labour sending areas and it is their responsibility as Harmony to give back to communities as they have an obligation to have social responsibility programmes.

Ms Mahadi Letsoisa the Social Facilitation Practitioner speaking on behalf of Harmony Gold mining company said “We agreed to sponsor the renovations because we aim to give hope to future leaders and to make education fashionable”.

Mahadi encouraged all the cooperatives within the area of Emalahleni Local Municipality that need financial support to forward their requests to them asthey are looking forward to enhance rural communities. “The intervention made by Harmony will spread around Eastern Cape” said Mohadi.

Ntsonkotha senior secondary school is among the schools that were identified by the national union of mine workers to be assisted.

MrSabelo Gotywa a member of the National Union of Mine workers who was leading a delegation which visited the area during the election campaign period said “It is our responsibility to ensure that rural communities are developed and it is also our duty to establish good relations between the mine workers union and the municipalities by contributing towards community development”.

Mr MlulekiMkuyana Acting Principal said “We wrote various letters to different departments requesting assistance but nothing came until NUM intervened. The letter we wrote was requesting major renovations and addition of buildings as pupils at hostel are congested and living conditions are not conducive enough for learners to study”.

Ms Lusanda Nkwetsha from Department of Education InfrastructureSection committed to assist with technical support to avoid wasteful expenditure. She said “The identified construction company must liaise with her section to ensure that all the set standards are met”.

Nyukwana on behalf of the Emalahleni Local Municipality committed to assist the project in all anglesto ensure that the project run smooth. The project is set to commence soon as the situation which was seen during the touring of the facility require an immediate attention. Work to be done will open job opportunities for the people of Emalahleni Local Municipality as skilled, semi-skilled and the general workers checking to its complexity.

“What we have promised must be done” Said Gotywa