Jobs, houses and health for mining towns

Government has allocated R18 billion to improve the living conditions of distressed mining communities across the country.

Headed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) in charge of revitalising mining communities, the projects include housing and wellness projects.

“Overall R18 billion has been dedicated to ongoing work in distressed mining communities, benefitting the following provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West,” President Jacob Zuma said recently

The President announced that the Department of Human Settlements, supported by its agencies, was implementing about 66 public sector housing projects in the 15 prioritised mining towns.

In the 2014/15 financial year, more than R419 million was spent on the ring-fenced budget for informal settlement upgrading in prioritised mining towns in Limpopo, Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West.

About R1 billion has been ring-fenced for this financial year. This is anticipated to deliver approximately 19 000 housing opportunities in mining towns.

In addition to the ring-fenced human settlement grant funding for distressed mining towns, the Department of Human Settlements’ housing agencies have contributed over R1 billion to integrated human settlements within mining towns.

President Zuma said a number of government departments were facilitating both large and small-scale industrial projects in the 15 mining towns. 

These, he said, are particularly critical in creating business and employment opportunities.