INVESTORS AND MEDIA Media release

Media release

South Deep and Qhubeka Charity hand over bicycles to the Randfontein Community Policing Forum

Monday, 1 October 2018

Johannesburg, 29 September 2018: For Gold Fields’ South Deep mine in Westonaria on the West Rand, community safety is as critical as the safety of its employees.

The commitment to safety does not end at the mine fence, and South Deep works closely with the South African Police Services in Westonaria and Bekkersdal as well as local Community Policing Forums (CPFs) to improve safety in its host communities. In recent months the focus has been to strengthen the work of CPF voluntary patrollers in these communities.

South Deep, the South Deep Community Trust and Qhubeka Charity are partnering to assist these patrollers through the donation of Qhubeka bicycles via their respective CPFs. The first donation – in June this year – comprised 101 Qhubeka bicycles and 75 winter jackets to patrollers from the Westonaria and Bekkersdal CPFs. Robert Mphaga, Chair of the Westonaria CPF, says that the bicycles have already increased the visibility of patrollers and assisted them in vastly increasing the area they can cover during a shift.

A further 100 Qhubeka bicycles were handed over today to patrollers from the Randfontein CPF.

The partnership between South Deep, the South Deep Community Trust, Qhubeka Charity and local communities has been strengthened as a result of these initiatives. “As South Deep, we are happy that we have been able to extend this project to Randfontein. By handing over these bicycles we aim to support the work done by the CFPs, but, as importantly, we want to further the relationship between the mine and our host communities”, says Benford Mokoatle, Vice-President at South Deep.

“Incentives such as bicycles, warm jackets and training have indeed increased the status of patrollers as well as their effectiveness in communities. The presence of CPFs at South Deep community meetings and open days assists in promoting safety and building positive relationships with communities,” adds Puseletso Matete, Head of Sustainable Development and Environment at the mine.


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