Modikwa engage Makgemeng residents in fruitful talks regarding tailings dam
Modikwa Platinum Mine held a stakeholder engagement meeting with Makgemeng residents at the Makgemeng sports ground on Thursday, October 27. The meeting was aimed at educating and alerting the locals about Modikwa tailings dam as part of Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM).
A tailings dam is typically an earth-fill embankment dam used to store by products of mining operations after separating the ore from the gangue. Tailings can be liquid, solid, or a slurry of fine particles.
The session saw more than 200 attendees that included Modikwa management, representatives from African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), Magakantshe Primary School, Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) and community leaders who engaged in fruitful talks.
Modikwa social performance leader, Phineas Makuwa assured residents of their safety. “We are not saying the dam will collapse, but we are today engaging on what to do if it may collapse. We also have experts who will share information about tailings dam. We care about our communities and we want nothing and only their safety. “We plead with locals to avoid getting new stands next to the Matshelapata area. If it may happen that the dam fails, they might not be safe.”
“Everyone is safe and our dam is monitored by experts, if somehow we see any danger we will ensure everyone is safe. This is the beginning of engagements and we will come back again to discuss Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan should the dam fail,” Makuwa added.
Modikwa concentrator plant leader, Tshilidzi Nemakhavhani said the tailings dam is managed by SRK company and monitored by Fraser Alexander. He indicated that the water from the dam is recycled back to the concentrator plant.
“Surveys are done regularly to check if any danger might occur. The dam is fenced to prevent animals and people from entering and using the water. “We have companies chosen to monitor and survey the dust to ensure compliance. To date, no issues of dust exceedance were experienced and all parameters were within the limit. Water tests are conducted on a monthly basis to check exceedance of chemical parameters,” he said.
Residents of Makgemeng were given the opportunity to raise questions about the dam. They urged Modikwa to clearly demarcate the areas in prevention of locals trying to acquire new stands at the Matshelapata area. The community also pleaded with Modikwa Mine to assist by providing services to the villagers and to be included in their Social Labour Plan.
In closing the session, Vusi Khumalo: ARM Executive said; Thank you for your participation and for your patience throughout the meeting. The meeting was a success, and there will be many more of these in the upcoming months.
