Recycling on the agenda for ZAC communities
ZAC 2023 environmental campaigns involving local schools set the tone for enhancing the mine’s community outreach efforts. The company started off the year with water conservation and recycling awareness events with six participating schools from surrounding host communities. The World Water Day and Global Recycling Day campaigns took place at the ZAC mine and were made possible through collaboration with its contractors.
Learners who attended the events received educational material and engaged in activities like aquatic biomonitoring. ZAC also identified participating schools that needed water infrastructure and provided 4 water tankers. “We also assist with the supply of fresh water to residents in the area which is why involving the community to ensure that conservation is a collaborative effort is important to us. When there is a leakage, we should all be accountable to report it so it can be resolved and does not hinder the flow of water to all who need it for their daily lives,” says
ZAC Environmental Superintendent Msawenkosi Buthelezi. Learners also took part in the Global Recycling Day campaign, where ZAC launched its community recycling project to promote effective waste management practices. “The idea behind recycling is to minimise the amount of waste that ends up in the local landfills by trying to share the idea with the community that they should consider opportunities of generating income through waste. Currently we are working with the local contractors and helping them to transport the waste to a recycling centre in Ulundi, next to the local municipality offices,” says Buthelezi. In the long-term ZAC would like to develop a centre that is situated at the site.
Imvelo eqhulwini lwezinhlelo emiphakathini ye-ZAC
Imikhankaso yokonga imvelo ye-ZAC yango-2023 yezikole icabe indlela yokusabalale umsebenzi wemayini wokuphosa esivivaneni emphakathini. Inkampani ivule unyaka ngemicimbi yokonga amanzi, lapho bekhona izikole eziyisithupha zendawo. Imikhankaso i-World Water Day ne-Global Recycling Day yenzeke emayini yase-ZAC kanti yenzeke ngokubambisana kwabakhi. Abafundi akade bekule micimbi bathole izinsiza zokufunda, babamba iqhaza ekubhekeni izinto zemvelo ezisemanzini.
I-ZAC ithole ithuba lokubona izikole ezidinga ingqalasizinda yamanzi, yase izihlinzeka ngamathangi amanzi amane. “Silekelela endaweni ngokuhlinzeka izakhamuzi ngamanzi ahlanzekile, okungakho ukubambisana nomphakathi ezintweni esizenzayo kubalulekile kithina. Uma kuvuza amanzi, kufanele sonke sibenejoka lokubika ukuze kulungiseke inkinga, ingakhinyabezi ukuhamba kwamanzi aye kubo bonke abawadingayo ezimpilweni,” kusho uNsumpa weZemvelo e-ZAC uMsawenkosi Buthelezi.
Abafundi babambe iqhaza emkhankasweni i-Global Recycling Day, lapho i-ZAC yethule khona umbhidlango wokonga imvelo emphakathini ukugqugquzela izindlela zokonga imvelo. “Umqondo wokonga imvelo wukunciphisa imfucuza egcina igcwele ezindaweni zokulahla udoti ngokufafaza lo mqondo emphakathini ukuthi ubheke izindlela zokwenza imali ngezibi. Okwamanje, sisebenzisana nabakhi bendawo, sibalekelele ukuthi bathuthele izibi oLundi, ngasemahhovisi,” kusho uMsawenkosi. Ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi sifisa ukusungula isikhungo esikule ndawo.