Rustenburg – LANXESS Mining and Khupe Maintenance and Projects, a Small to Medium Enterprise (SMME) based at Photsaneng, Rustenburg, have signed a contract that will result in Khupe providing belt cleaning and gardening services to the mine on a permanent basis.
The contract, which was formalised during a signing ceremony held at the mine recently, is set to provide full time employment to some 50 local people who are employed by the SMME and live mostly in the Photsaneng area. Prior to their agreement, Khupe’s contract with LANXESS was renewable on a month-to-month basis resulting in the SMME engaging its employees on a part-time basis.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, LANXESS Mining Chief Operating Officer, Bruce Jones said that his organisation was committed to assisting Khupe to develop into a competitive service provider that would extend its expertise to other clients. Some of the assistance will include pre-funding of equipment and skills development for the enterprise. “While LANXESS Mining will provide assistance to Khupe to help it grow into a competitive enterprise, it is important to note that the belt cleaning and gardening services have to be delivered in a safe, diligent and acceptable standard,” said Jones.

Speaking on behalf of Khupe, Human Resources Manager for the SMME, Mr. Boitumelo Ramogale, said they were looking forward to a long term relationship with the mine and would use this opportunity to further enhance their competitive edge in the market. “This agreement is a significant contribution to the local economy and the North West province. It has made a difference to our employees who will now have permanent jobs. We will use this opportunity to improve their skills in order to deliver services of high quality to LANXESS and future customers,” said Ramogale.

Also present at the signing ceremony were representatives of the Royal Bafokeng Administration and the Rustenburg Local Municipality. Both bodies have a keen interest in the socio-economic growth within the community and hailed this agreement as a milestone that compliments the vision of local authorities in the area.

“This agreement fully complements Vision 2020 that the Royal Bafokeng nation has set for itself. Amongst our most important goals for this vision is enhancing the skills development of local SMMEs and ensuring their growth to become viable businesses,” said Cllr Papi Rangwaga of the Royal Bafokeng Nation.

Mr Joas Petlele, Director at Khupe (left) and Bruce Jones, Chief Operating Officer at LANXESS Mining seal deal at signing ceremony.