The African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) broad-based black economic- empowerment (BBBEE) trust last week announced that it would be distributing another R26-million to support various community upliftment projects.

Speaking at a dividend distribution function, held in Sandton, ARM’s chairperson, billionaire Patrice Motsepe, announced that the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal upliftment trusts would each receive about R2.57-million, while the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, the North West and the Free State upliftment trusts would receive R962 518 each.

Further, the LEM Upliftment Trust would receive about R1.28-million, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union Investment Holdings and the South African Democratic Teachers Union Investment Holdings would receive about R2.56-million each, while the National Womens’ Upliftment Trust would receive R3.85-million.

In addition, 500 individuals would also receive R12 000 each.

“South Africa is facing a lot of challenges, such as poverty and inequality, and government cannot deal with this alone,” Motsepe said.

The ARM BBBEE trust had, since its inception in 2005, distributed R84-million to support 86 projects in seven provinces, with this year’s contribution bringing the amount to R110-million.

Meanwhile, also speaking at the event, Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu said the work ARM was doing through the trust displayed “the real transformation of the mining industry”.

She noted that it was businesses such as ARM that truly understood the concept of the country’s mineral wealth belonging to all South Africans, adding that trusts, such as the ARM BBBEE Trust, were making the aims of the Freedom Charter a reality.

The Minister also appealed to the traditional leaders living in areas with mineral wealth to keep the rest of South Africa in mind and not to allo- cate all the wealth generated from the mining operations in their areas only to themselves.

She added that the mining industry should not be seen as a money-making scheme and that those who benefit from the industry should reinvest in the country to build a sustainable South Africa.

“If we are to make sure that the country’s minerals feed and improve the conditions of all South Africans, we will realise that there will be less crime and poverty, and all the children of South Africa will have the opportunity to be well off, literate and skilled, as a result of us extending the hand of generosity to all those living in South Africa,” she said.

“We need a mining industry that is modernised and which attracts and results in skilled labour,” she said, adding that South Africa could not accept mine- workers not earning a good income.

Shabangu challenged the country’s mining companies to also make a difference in the lives of all South Africans, while also thanking those companies that were already doing so.