
Living in the mine hosting communities by Mojalefa Rabolinyane,.
Living in the mining community someone would think it’s the best thing ever. Well not when you are living in the Free State Province in the Matjhabeng Local municipality in small towns like Allanridge and Odendaalsrus. These two towns have over five decades of mining yet they are one of those poorest in the Lejweleputswe District Municipality.
Dwelling mining communities benefit nothing from the mining houses who extracts their natural resources in the land. There is no Social responsibility or Social development towards the community given by the mining houses to develop their life styles and for economic improvement in the towns.
Due to high rate of unemployment individuals engage in illegal mining to feed their poor families and to survive starvation. Is it still safe to call this men and women illegal miners since they are mining in the dwelling communities or home lands, and don’t use heavy machinery and chemicals that are harmful to the environment and the community.
If the issue of social development was thoroughly addressed, the high rate of unemployment and poverty would have been addressed and if there was full functionality of Skill development centres in the communities, this impact would be minimum.
In these towns there is poor infrastructure. The Education system is also suffering with no transparency. e.g No colleges, special schools for the handicapped. The health system is also suffering, with hospitals operating like Clinics which also rely on the Bongani Hospital in Welkom Thabong.
After 1994 communities from these towns and others not mentioned in this article were hoping for things to change and improve for the better since the apartheid era was over. But instead situation gets worse with the rich being richer and the poor being poorer. Is this the Freedom we hoped and fought for? Self enrichment of the high government officials and the ANC MPs?
What is the difference between the apartheid era and Freedom with the governance of the ANC? Or is it just the change of power from White supremacy to Black supremacy?
I think it’s high time the community call for the Nationalization of the mines. These are our resources and we want to benefit from them, not the capitalists and the government officials and the high ranking ANC officials. Why cant the government take example from Zimbabwe? Yes in every war there is collateral, and in this fight for Nationalization by the community or the citizens visa vie the Capitalist and The ANC government, there will be collateral. But we will be living a good legacy for generations to come of this country.
Let’s give thanks to our brothers who laid down their lives against this beast the capitalist. The Marikana massacre, you started this war against the beast the Capitalist we will finish it.
Nationalization of mines.
By Mojalefa Rabolinyane