Promoting literacy in the Eastern Cape

   

Promoting reading in young children is vital to improving literacy and numeracy skills among the youth. It is a skill that is often neglected, as the responsibility for promoting a love of reading falls to families, many of whom are without the means to nurture it.

To address this gap, four Eastern Cape community libraries were refurbished in a public-private sector partnership between OR Tambo District Municipality, Impala Rustenburg, the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC), Port St Johns, Ingquza Hill and the Mhlontlo Local Municipality.

As part of Impala Rustenburg’s Social and Labour Plan commitment to initiatives that will contribute to the upliftment of the communities from which the Company sources labour, the four community facilities in the Eastern Cape were renovated to provide library and information services to the region. Renovations took place to the Kwa-Nyathi Rural Library in the PSJ Local Municipality, the Lusikisiki and Flagstaff public libraries in the Ingquza-Hill Local Municipality, and the Qumbu Public Library in the Mhlontlo Local Municipality.

As a Company that provides employment on our mines for residents of the Eastern Cape, we are committed to upliftment projects. We were honoured to be able to invest in this joint project, which has the potential to bring about meaningful change. Partnerships such as these can achieve real impact beyond the borders of our operations.