MIDDELBURG – The issue of job creation and women’s empowerment took center stage in the discussions among the communities of Steve Tshwete.
On Monday, April 22, 2024, residents from various parts of the Steve Tshwete municipality organised a peaceful march to two prominent mining companies, Mafube Coal and Optimum Coal. Their aim was to deliver a memorandum outlining their demands for employment opportunities, skills development, and procurement. Accompanying these demands were proposals and strategies aimed at uplifting and empowering women in the region. Sindisiwe Mahlangu, speaking to the paper during the march, emphasized the rarity of women’s empowerment initiatives in the area. “This issue needs urgent attention,” she said. “Women’s participation in the mainstream economy is inadequate. They are often overlooked for opportunities such as jobs, business ventures, and skills development.”
Mahlangu further stressed that the purpose of the march was to draw attention to the challenges faced by women in the community. “Our voices must be heard by these mining companies,” she insisted. “They must come to the table with plans for skills development and women’s empowerment in business.”
The communities spent approximately an hour at each mine, expressing their demands through songs and slogans before dispersing.
The memorandum presented by the marchers called for a meeting with all contractors and subcontractors involved in the mines’ operations. ” We demand everything currently happening, be it new contract or recruitment be put on hold,” the memorandum stated. ” May all things be put to hold until we have a meeting with relevant decision makers.”
The mines were given five working days to respond to the demands and arrange a meeting with the community representatives.
