Community Pursuades Mining Company to build Local Clinic.

Moseamedi Molin

In 2023, the Mogabane village community was promised a clinic with money from the Bokoni platinum mine lease. The leaders indicated that when the money is paid out they would arrange a party for the community as they had been unraveling it for a long time. The money was released on 02 October 2023, but leaders did not inform the community about the lease money. The community called a meeting regarding the lease money from Bokoni Mine and pointed out
that the money had been spent but the leaders were silent and did not call a meeting. So the people came together. They investigated the lease money and it turned out that some leaders had already withdrawn about 2 million where it ended up as unknown.

The community tried to inquire about the money but no one was taking responsibility, the leaders were called to a meeting four times but did not attend. The leaders started a project of drilling borehole water saying they were drilling for the community and hired only people within their group. They drilled twice and they didn’t find it on Wednesday. They drilled again and found it. The water came out for three days then they said the machine was broken. They came up with the idea that has been talked about for a long time, that of building a clinic.

The community stood up and said they wanted the clinic to be built the way they wanted. The community went to the clinic building site for employment opportunities and were hired. People worked on constructing the clinic, the problem started when the contractor did not allocate subcontracts to residents with qualifying small companies. The local business community said that their business certificates were going to be used in the construction of the clinic, saying
they have rights as the contractor takes the tenders and defends himself on that issue. The community pointed out that the roofing and ceiling should be provided to local children of the land otherwise his work stops. Pending a response from the contractor.

Interview:-

One resident expressed that they were sad. “We expected we would also be able to feed our families because we would be employed in the clinic”.