FOCUS De Beers Venetia
FOCUS De Beers Venetia Mine unveils a testing laboratory Response to the Covid-19 pandemic is part of “Building Forever” commitment. De Beers Venetia Mine has unveiled a R10-million coronavirus (Covid-19) testing laboratory that will be utilised to test the mine’s employees and contractors. The laboratory will play a vital role in the diagnostic testing process of Covid-19 for employees and contractors and is expected to analyse at least 80 tests per day with a 24-hour turnout time for results. Operated by two technicians, the highthroughput laboratory is fully equipped with a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machine and other vital equipment including among others storage fridges, biosafety cabinet and centrifuges Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba and De Beers Group Managed Operations MD Mpumi Zikalala unveil the testing lab in Musina to increase testing capacity and analyse test samples to help speed up diagnoses and curb the spread of the virus. If aligned to the Limpopo Department of Health’s testing strategy, the laboratory will also analyse test samples from the Musina Hospital, Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital and Helena Franz Hospital, which are the local health facilities identified for screening positive Covid-19 patients from Venetia and the communities surrounding the mine. Venetia Mine has also appointed three clinical associates and provided vehicles to allow them to conduct home-based responses as part of the company’s “WeCare” programme. The programme encourages employees and contractors to protect themselves from exposure and transmission of Covid-19, as well as monitor and manage their health should they test positive. Mpumi Zikalala, Managing Director, De Beers Group Managed Operations, said, “As a business, our first and most important value is to Put Safety First. We value the health and safety of our people above all else and are equally committed to delivering support to our host communities throughout this difficult period. The PCR laboratory is one element in our range of proactive response measures to support the fight against this global pandemic and through which we hope to increase access to testing, not only for our employees, but also communities in partnership with the Department of Health.” Dr Phophi Ramathuba, Limpopo MEC of Health, said, “We welcome this development as the Department of Health as it will go a long way in assisting us as government to deal with the current testing backlog. We do appreciate every single collaboration, especially the likes of this laboratory, which not only will focus on testing employees at Venetia Mine, but community members as well.” ■ LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2020/21 30
Venetia Mine brings community relief amid Covid-19 lockdown “WeCare” programme delivers vital medical equipment. FOCUS Venetia Mine and the Departments of Health and Social Development have rallied around efforts to provide support and relief to communities within the mine’s labour-sending areas of Musina and Blouberg. The mine has donated necessities such as maize meal, rice, oatmeal, tea, milk, canned foods and hygiene products including sanitisers, to ensure that those who are in hardship will have access to sufficient food during the nationwide lockdown. Medical equipment donated Through the Anglo-American Foundation, Venetia Mine is donating medical supplies to six clinics in the Blouberg area, namely: Alldays, Ga-Kibi, De Vrede, Kromhoek, Indermark and Taaibosch. These clinics will each receive the following supplies over a period of three months: N95 masks, surgical masks, disposable gowns, examination gloves, surgical gloves, paper towels, chlorhexidine solution, goggles and chlorhexidine scrub. They will also each receive the following onceoff medical items: blood-gas machine and noncontact thermometer. Hospitals and clinics will be equipped with medical equipment and supplies to support their efforts to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus and for treatment. More food parcels donated In a continued effort to help ease the burden for families during the Covid-19 pandemic, Venetia Mine, through the disaster relief organisation Gift of the Givers, has donated 1 000 food parcels to communities in Musina and Blouberg. The donation is part of the mine’s response to Covid-19, through which a total of R1.2-million will be used to purchase and distribute food parcels to indigent households over a period of three months. Mayor of Musina Local Municipality, Mihloti Muhlope, who accepted the food parcels on behalf of the Musina community ahead of the door-todoor deliveries, said the community was grateful for Venetia Mine’s efforts in helping fight food insecurity during the lockdown. “Government alone cannot win this difficult war against hunger and starvation. We need stakeholders like De Beers Venetia Mine and Gift of the Givers Foundation to come on board. As Musina Municipality, we are very humbled by this donation,” she said. Coordinating the deliveries of food parcels in Blouberg, Local Economic Development Manager at the Blouberg Local Municipality, Stanford Moremi, alongside Mayor, Solomon Pheedi, said, “We would like to extend our gratitude to Venetia Mine for this initiative. This food relief initiative has certainly touched the lives of many in our community considering the devastating Covid-19 impact on our communities.” ■ 31 LIMPOPO BUSINESS 2020/21
