Glencore PLC: The Official Opening of the Steelpoort Business Incubation Hub

Steelpoort – Glencore Alloys opened Local Enterprise Development Hub in Steelpoort, Limpopo, on Wednesday, the 17th of March 2021.

The Programme Director of the Glencore Local Enterprise Development Hub Official Opening in Steelpoort’s Glencore ESC Superintendent Charlin Ntuli.

Guests Introduction – GSI Manager Voster Maloka

Maloka did the introduction of the VIPs and VVIPs who were present at the Glencore’s LED official opening.

Glencore executives embraced the official launching of the Limpopo Business Hub aiming to have a huge impact on local enterprises and/or SMMEs.

Glencore Alloys – Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) General Manager Conroy van der Westhuizen, Glencore Alloys Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Japie Fullard, Regoapele Capital Chief Operations Officer (COO) Otukile Moshori, Glencore Alloys – Eastern Mines (ECM) General Manager Lloyd Murenzvi, Glencore Alloys – Lion Smelter General Manager Chabisi Motloung, Traditional Leaders Delegations; Kgoshi Malekane, Kgoshi Maphopha, Princess Rantho, Kgoshi Makua and Kgoshi Mampuru, Kgoshi Ntake and Kgoshi Ratau were not present, the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA) delegates and Blaxk Management Forum (BMF) Tubatse Secretary Daisy Raphela were presence, as well as significant others not mentioned.

In their midst, the Sekhukhune Times, Steelburger and Sekhukhune Tubatse Fetakgomo News (STUF News) media were present.

Purpose of the Launch – CSR GM Conroy van der Westhuizen

Van der Westhuizen said he’s happy about the role Glencore PLC plays in embracing the aspirations of South Africa.

“I am excited about today and the road we are embarking on. We are Glencore – we embrace the aspirations of this country,” said van der Westhuizen.

He said our government alone cannot deliver efficacious results, citing that the purpose of the launch day “lies with the system thinker of the world.

He highlighted 4 major concepts that are significant in the corporate world, namely;

• Desirability
• Feasibility
• Transferibility
• Simplicity

Mr van der Westhuizen emphasised the issue of burning tyres and blocking roads as the way of having the mines meeting the demands of the protesters, he says with such tendencies such city cannot be born.

“The City that we need to build cannot succeed in burning tyres and blocking roads”

Regoapele Capital – COO Otukile Moshori

When doing a business with Glencore – when calling Glencore, you are calling a business partner with which the same values and ethos.

Moshori says if you know where the work you are doing is going and what does SA’s policies are saying – you will be able to make the right decisions.

“So now we need to think around where is mining going, what is the country’s policy saying, are we aligned with the changes that are taking place and when you find yourself thinking from the future-orientation point of view, we can make better decisions. Better decisions again talks to the issue of values, there’ll always be far less opportunities that there’ll be SMMEs opportunies,” said Moshori.

“If business A gets the opportunity, let’s spread the ecosystem that we also employ local, and it helps to spread and it helps everyone to participate and add value that they can. We have seen a scenario where sometimes we deal with entrepreneurs and when we empower the local entrepreneurs the labour force come from elsewhere, and it does make me wonder that at the back of our mind when we are in certain groupings we say the same thing, but when we act – we do things differently.”

“We don’t have to sugar-coat things when we come to the hub, we xall it as it is – we are your peers – we represent your interest more than anything else. Our responsibility is to advice and guide to lead you to the right path”

Moshori said people have the tendency of doing the same thing as if there aren no others things people can do, like you will find people saying construction failing to look at other things where they can direct their unreserved to, for instance, we don’t have property companies and the likes in our midst.

He says Regoapele Capital’s major aim is to guide entrepreneurs and they don’t know everything, hence that’s why they have business partners.

“We have worked with business partners like SEDA where we have developed Glencore Academy so that we can upskill everyone where there’s a gap that’s larking.”

And they are planning to get the entire accredited which will help businesses or SMMEs to receive accreditation which would aid them with the recognition of the skills they might have acquired through Glencore, but without such accreditation, it’ll be difficult for such businesses to be recognised like when going to Two Rivers to offer their services or when handing a CV, it’ll [the accreditation] talk for you without having a personal relationship.

Moshori said “we are here for you – we are a call away” you need entrepreneurial support and so forth. And that “not everyone will be coming there for business opportunities,” if you will be going there for a job opportunity feel free to go as they “might be sitting in a situation where [they] know a company that has job opportunities,” recall it’s all about transformation and giving people the necessary help they could ever give.

It is all about identifying gaps and closing those gaps – creating an ecosystem.

Keynote Address – Glencore Alloys CEO Japie Fullard

Prior making remarks, Fullard highlighted how every person is vitally significant irrespective of their capacity.

“I am not really used to be called VVIP, that is not true. The people that are sitting here today are actually the VIPs – that’s the imprtance, I mean what we did here has got nothing to do honestly with us as the leadership or even us as Glencore, but it’s the legacy we leave behind,” said Fullard.

He said that myriads of people have brilliant ideas that if taken into consideration might yield efficacious outcomes, for cooperates like Glencore, it is best to learn of the implementation of such idea.

“How do we take people that has got a concept or an idea, and bring that into fruit. The analogy that I used is how do we take a seed, something that people have got in their mind,brilliant concept and make them true, and the only way you can do that is to take that seed, fill it in the ground and obviously fertilise the ground and give that seed water – you must continue doing that. And then, slowly but surely before you know it, you have got a beautiful tree and with that fruit,” Fullard added.

He emphasised that Glencore in the past have done it incorrectly as they planted the seed and suddenly expected a fruit, which according to him was lacking collaboration [with partners which is important] and patience.

4 values / pillars of the 6 values of Glencore were outlined;

1. Safety
2. Integrity
3. Simplicity
4. Entrepreneurialism

Lion Smelter incredibly support a vast number of community members.

The purpose of the launch is for community or local people to support Glencore so that the money doesn’t flow out of the community.

Fullerd expressed his frustrations as for the first time after about 31 years in Glencore, where they had to cut over 1,000 people from the operations – he says that’s not what they want.

As many cooperates help people or locals for such cooperates to shine even more, Fullard said Glencore is the exception as their major aim is to uplift local entrepreneurs because [Glencire] believes in transformation of the inhabitants of the Republic of South Africa (RSA).

“We are not doing this to showcase Glencore – we do this because we believe in transformation,” said Fullard.

How to uplift local people?

Fullard highlighted the significance of Glencore’s operations which is transformation, failure to its bringing change might impact its operations therefore leading to its closure.

“The time, it could be I’m just saying and please I’m not saying it’s going to happen. It could be that if things do not change that Glencore Smelter will be under the threat of closing – that’s unfortunate reality – we have got shareholders and we need to act on behalf of the shareholders. The things we do is to make sure that we take the best decisions”

He said they “want to take entrepreneurs and make them businessmen and businesswomen,” and that’s what Glencore want.

In conclusion, he said “we have got government here and leaders – we have got the right peopme here, so let’s make the right decisions and make a huge success.”

Message of Support – Lion Smelters GM Chabisi Motloung

“What we really see here, in the middle of technical research, in the middle of Covid-19 and in the middle of industry that is facing serious threat of extinction, here is Glencore that comes and build such an investment – it shows the courage that Glencore is the company [that helps],” said Motloung.

He says his duty, as a Lion Smelter General Manager is simple as he’s overseeing the work of 920 workers with close to 1,000 business partners, is to make sure that those lives are protested with everything they have.

Highliting on the protection of lives, he said that the mining industry in South Africa has lost lives and it is enticing that there’s no rampid increment of deaths.

“Up today we have lost 8 colleagues in the ministry in South Africa, I need to make sure that those 2,000 people – 2,000 workers from the community do not become part of these stats, the industry has lost about 370 workers from Covid-19, however the mining industry’s done very well to make sure that in terms of Covid we don’t have a massive bleeding of lives, and I am glad that the mining industry have got a higher rate of recovery,” said Motloung.

He says it is because of the community and workers because it shows that when they get home, they exhibit a compliance demeanour with Covid-19 regulations – congratulating companies like Glencore, communities and workers for their contribution to beating Covid-19 and saving lives.

Lion Smelter don’t have a super-spreader and as of Friday, last week, Lion don’t have active Covid-19 case(s).

Business partners that goes to Lion Smelter are directed to the CSR office – to incubate them properly with full compliance prior getting into the system and on the ground running, to prevent loss of lives.

“We need each other to keep Lion afloat – we need each to preserve the 920 lives, and I am sure we have got the right people. I am seeing harmonious relationship between the horses, the community, the municipality and Goencore, I mean for the CEO to grace us with presence – it really means a lot.”

“[This investment] we don’t have to take it lightly, I don’t see this anymore. Companies are fighting for survival and here’s Glencore being courageous and brave to build something like this.”

Helping local businesses to grow, and they hire local, people who are going to go to the community to spend their money at the tuck shops and car wash – the money that way will flow in the community and further jobs would be created.

As the Glencore exchange hands – that’s how more jobs are created.

Message of Support – Traditional Leaders: Kgoshi Malekane

“I am going to speak on behalf of the Makgoshi. I woud like to greet, firstly, the leadership of Glencore in their respective positions and areas of operations, the municipality present amongst here, the leadership of Regoapele Capital and their respective portfolios, the LEDA, the SEDA, the media, the Makgoshis and the rest of the forums present here,” Kgoshi Malekane made his opening remarks.

Kgoshi Malekane said what he’ll be saying is his experience, he had meetings with the forums and businesses.

“Program director allow me to sing loud few things which we regard as challenges from where we are sitting. We have got around 10 mines operating around here, communities we shall call co-communities. And my worry and our worry as Makgoshi is, there’s no collaboration among the mines, and the question is, I am pointing fingers at the government not the mines, why there’s no enforcement to force the mines to collaborate on this big exercises. We have got supply park, [built] by Glencore and there’s no support from other mines, and the question is why? I am saying Glencore cannot do these things alone whereas we have got so many operations around Glencore.”

“Today, we are here opening a beautiful building by Glencore on its own, and the question is where’s collaboration? Why are we not collaborating? Are we competing against each other amongst ourselves, mines operators? And I think we shouldn’t be doing that. And I think we need the government and the government to say all the mines here, operating in this valley must collaborate.”

“All the mines must collaborate. An idea came up Mr Conroy, all the CEOs must be brought together and say this is the idea for the benefit of communities around here, and that doesn’t mean positions, and we are worried – Glencore alone cannot do it, we need the support and assistance from all the other mines.

He said they have been struggling to have the meetings with the CEOs of the mine operations around Sekhukhune District, particularly the ones in the vicinity of the Greater Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality, but it’s a big challenge because the mines have varying visions.

Kgoshi Malekane reminded Glencore executives that they are all employees whereas Makgoshi are not as such, and that when they [these employees] retire, they [the Makgoshi] will stick around as their lives will remain here.

“We are pleading that the mine [Glencore] should help us collaborate because there’s a very huge gap mentally between the operations and our youth. Because what happened yesterday and the day before it’s a big challenge.

“We are asking ourselves a question, what went into the head of that young man to take a big truck and block steel bridge and block at Phepeng?. And normally when I have a meeting, I ask this question, who’s suffering the most when you block steel bridge? It’s a black child, all black employees are coming from the inner communities”

“The problem we encounter is, this young men are normally hired by emerging businesses. They’ve been bribed by liquor and by price [money]. A businessman have a contract with a particular mine, that contract is about to expire and is not sure of it being renewed, and he wants it to be renewed. There’s no way that it can be renewed unless he uses intimidation. He goes to the village and recruit few guys and he gives them a whiskey to block the road.”

With that being said, Kgoshi Malekane sees the need of collaboration with the mines with the hope that it would change the mindset of the young people and have them deviating from their annihilating demeanour – to curb it from divagating.

He says a “meeting with all the [mines] CEOs, maybe for two days” would be of a lifetime help. And “this burning of tyres and blocking of roads must come to an end… The steel bridge is almost at Ga-Malekane, and every morning when I woke up I check if the road is not blocked. That means we cannot plan, we don’t know if tomorrow we are going to work or not.

“Let’s support it and ensure that those of us who are SMMEs and those of us who are in the forums get proper education – get proper training. Because the economic zone we are talking of won’t come here if the situation is as it is, it won’t come!

He made it clear that Malekane community was supposed to have about about 4 – 5 years ago, and “the mall won’t come until the steel bridge is properly reconstructed. And we all know the mines have contributed a huge amount of money, about R45 million if I remember correctly.”

“Charlin you as the manager here… Where do you put Makgoshi, what is Makgoshi’s role?”

Message of Support – Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality Mr Mnisi from the Executive Mayor’s Office

District executive mayor and all mayors of the local municipalities were anticipated to grace the occasion, but they were called by the Portfolio Committee: Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Parliament.

Mr Mnisi said “indeed leaders are born” as he praised Kgoshi Malekane for diligently representing the people of Sekhukhune, “I feel so small to talk after you.”

The pprogramme such as the ones created by Glencore indeed shows that the mine wants to make changes in the district, the city that Mr van der Westhuizen talked about.

“I think you have made a mistake when you said it is difficult to have the meeting with the CEOs, it shouldn’t ve difficult because you are the ones who’s giving them the soil / land to mine. Why must it be difficult for you as the owners of this land to get hold of the CEOs?… That’s another thing we need to address because if yourself as the owner of the land finds it difficult to meet with the CEOs of the mines mining your land, then it means the community’s going to have a problem. The community look up to the Makgoshi to deal with issues faced by their communities, then if it becomes difficult for them to meet with CEOs, it means we’re going to have a problem.”

Mnisi said the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality’s offices were closed on Tuesday by a group of people, “they came there yesterday, they closed the the municipality, they raised their issues, and when we looked at the issues they were raising, they were supposed to discussed them with their traditional leaders, they drove to Groblesdaal and the municipality were closed the whole day.”.

Mr Mnisi is charged the responsibility of youth development in the Office of the Executive Mayor and all the special programmes there.

There are issues that need to be addressed and if not addressed, we will have a lost nation in the future, one of which being social coercion.Thus, youth are bribed with liquor and given money to block the roads and vandalise people’s properties, and such is disturbing to the operations of these mines.

According to Mnisi, “the major of people doing these things [vandalism and roads blocking] are young people,” and such calls for programmes with the problem would be tackled and dealt with.

He said there’s a variety of things that can be done to make a shift in the perception of young people.

The planning together and the District Development Bond emerge to be one of the things that can make the aforesaid shift.

He said President Cyril Ramaphosa wanted the municipality to development a Recovery Plan for the entire Sekhukhune, but the district municipality failed because they were developing the plan alone, leaving behind this important sectors such as Glencore – concurring with what Glencore CEO Japie Fullard said when he made the assertions that, government alone cannot receive anticipated results when working alone unless there’s a collaboration, something that Glencore chose to venture for the transformation of the people of South Africa.

Companies like Glencore is what government need to address the issues faced by South Africans.

Vote of Thanks – COO Johan Combrink

He was brief about the vote of thanks, and let the programme proceed to the orientation process.

Glencore Local Enterprise Development Hub in Steelpoort is fully furnished with an enticing reception which signifies a warm welcome.

Glencore LED Hub have enticing boardrooms exhibiting a good place for entrepreneurs to meet and/or hold a meeting. It’s about 3 boardrooms.

It has also has a study rooms and computer lab. This facade will make it difficult for SMMEs or entrepreneurs to do research and have enough time of studying.

STUF News