Gold mining major Anglo-Gold Ashanti is progressing well in line with South Africa’s Mining Charter’s targets to improve the standards of housing and living conditions for mineworkers, says sustainability VP Malebogo Marimo.

As stipulated by the charter, mining companies are obligated to facilitate home ownership options for all workers, in consultation with organised labour, by 2014. This involves converting or upgrading hostels into family units and attaining the occupancy rate of one person a room.

Responding to these objectives, AngloGold identified unoccupied buildings and former hostels and converted them into family units.

To date, the world’s third-largest gold producer has converted 6 917 privacy rooms at a cost of R198-million and expects to spend a further R109-million on converting 3 512 privacy rooms by the end of the year.

Moreover, the company has redeveloped 401 family units since 2011 at a cost of R56.94-million, with a further 175 family units scheduled for completion by 2014.

This will bring the total number of units to 576, representing a capital investment of R100-million.

AngloGold’s properties division started the first phase of the old Visiting Wives redevel- opment project in 2011, which entailed the conversion of nine three-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom units at a cost of R6.3-million.

The second phase resulted in the delivery of a further 29 family units – eight three-bedroom units and 21 two-bedroom units at a cost of R7.69-million – which were handed over to employees and their families in December.

“In addition, AngloGold is providing three balanced meals a day for employees in mine residences, in line with the guidelines of the Department of Mineral Resources,” says Marimo.

She assures Mining Weekly that the company’s housing expan- sion programme caters for those in need, adding that, in its quest to facilitate home ownership, AngloGold has finalised a finance model at a favourable interest rate to enable its employees to purchase and own houses.

“Secured shelter provides protection and security for those who are vulnerable. We at AngloGold subscribe to a strong set of values, premised on respecting each other and leaving our communities better off. In light of this, we believe in the promotion of a cohesive society,” says Marimo.

Meanwhile, AngloGold Ashanti will continue to support the development of business enterprises in host communities Matlosana, in the North West, Merafong, in Gauteng, and Moqhaka, in the Free State, as well as in its labour-sending areas.

Further, a school in Libode, in the Eastern Cape, is nearing completion, where AngloGold is constructing an administration block, ablution facilities and six classrooms at a cost of R2-million. A science laboratory at JJ Gose High School, in Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape, is also nearing completion at a cost of R1.8-million.

The company has allocated R322-million to fund these enterprise development projects and local economic development projects, including income- generating projects.

A further R15-million has been set aside for corporate social investment initiatives aligned to support community projects in education, social welfare, poverty eradication and health.

Moreover, AngloGold is spend-ing R111-million on human- resource, education and skills-development bursaries in its host communities and labour-sending areas.