MARCH FOR CHANGE

Meriting Extension 2 demands employment and accountability from their local mine

Rustenburg – The community of Meriting Extension 2 made their voices heard at the end of 2024, marching to the offices of a local mine to express their grievances. The march was a peaceful demonstration of the community’s frustration with the local mine, which they believe has failed to provide adequate employment opportunities for the youth of their area.

A memorandum outlining their concerns was handed over to the general manager of the mine, with an agreement that the company would respond to the grievances within seven working days. The march, which was legally organised, was led by the chairperson of the Meriting Youth, Duncan Williamson. He emphasised that before resorting to this action, the community had reached out to the mine to request a meeting to address their complaints. “Unfortunately, our requests were ignored,” he said.

The main issue raised by the community is that the mines operating in their area are not hiring local youth, despite their proximity. They also expressed concerns over the ward councillor’s role in the employment process, alleging that the councillor has been given the power to identify candidates for jobs but has failed to do so effectively.

Platinum Weekly attempted to contact the ward councillor for comment, but efforts were unsuccessful. The local mine, too, has not responded to inquiries.

“More recently, the local mine has assured us that they will be providing a comprehensive response to their concerns soon,” said Williamson.

Photo: A peaceful march for justice and opportunity.