Mmamabula coal mining to trigger population growth

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Wednesday November 17, 2010 00:00

 

In their draft development plan for Mmamabula, physical planners say in the early stages some 1,400 workers from outside the area will be employed there, with 50 percent of them accompanied by their families.

On the basis of these assumptions the planers say some 3,500 people would come to the planning area. The report says the majority of the workers will be housed in the mining employee village adjacent to Mmaphashalala village.

The village will include permanent staff housing of approximately 1,000 units of one, two and three bedroom houses, as well as a management complex to house approximately 50-70 middle and senior management personnel with associated infrastructure and services.

The planners say despite permanent jobs created directly the development of a mine and power plant will also result in an influx of people wanting to take advantage of the project and related development opportunities in the planning area and surrounding villages.  'This is based on the assumption that the economy of the planning area will have grown over the construction period, with increased provision of goods and services and associated increased employment.

' It is anticipated that for every permanent operational job created directly three indirect and induced jobs would be created outside of the mine and power station, thus with a direct workforce peaking at around 1,400 the indirect and educed employment will amount to the creation of around 4,200 long-term duration jobs at peak; it is furthermore assumed that all of these workers or at least 70 percent will try to settle as close as possible to project activities, i.e. within the planning area where employment and economic opportunities are perceived to be highest.

'Forty percent or 55 percent of these workers are assumed to be accompanied by their families, and given the assumptions summarized above the total number of in-migration into the planning area that would be triggered by the operational phase is assumed to be around 11,200 people or 14, 000 at most.'  The planners assume that the beginning of the power plant and coalmine operation will occur in 2018.