Artist drawing of the complex
Anglo American group subsidiary Kumba Iron Ore’s Kolomela mine has broken ground on a multipurpose lifestyle complex in the small Northern Cape town of Postmasburg, which the company says will transform the lives of the Tsantsabane community.
The 16 ha complex will provide a range of sporting, recreational, educational, health, retail and arts and crafts facilities.
It will include a comprehensive upgrade of the existing showground’s sporting facilities, with the addition of a community swimming pool; the development of a 24-hour emergency medical facility; and a retail park that caters to micro-business traders.
The first phase of the project started in April with the appointment of the first contractor to build a green route, which features paved running and cycling paths.
This will be followed by a range of parks, kids’ play areas, outdoor gyms and braai areas. This phase is scheduled to be completed by February 2022.
The entire project will be funded and managed by Kumba, in partnership with the Tsantsabane local municipality and funding partners such as the Sishen Iron Ore Company Community Development Trust and local businesses.
Kolomela mine corporate affairs manager Mavis Kolberg says the project aims to improve the quality of life of the entire Tsantsabane community.
Local businesses will be hired for many of the projects, providing jobs and economic activity, and the completed complex will provide a venue for small businesses to ply their trade.
“We see this complex as transformational for the town and the broader community.
“As a mining company, we would not exist if it were not for our communities and this project is part of our ongoing commitment to uplift the people of Tsantsabane and to create a thriving and sustainable community,” says Kolberg.
The complex will be spread across the Postmasburg area, including Boichoko, Postdene, Airfield and the showgrounds, adjacent to Sibilo area.
The second phase of the project will include the main complex and showground upgrades, while the final phase will deliver the medical and retail developments, in partnership with the private sector.