Shortly after starting his tenure in January, Harmony CEO Beyers Nel held his first meet-and-greet with the Premier of the Free State, Hon.Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, at Free State House. This marked their first meeting since the appointment of both leaders and was part of the company’s established engagements with the government. The Premier was accompanied by four MECs representing the Departments of Education, Health, Public Works, and Finance and Economic Development, the meeting aimed to initiate a process to facilitate collaboration between the Provincial Government and Harmony. Discussions centred on aligning Harmony’s strategic direction with the province’s priorities.
Harmony is a significant economic contributor in the province, currently operating five underground mines and several surface retreatment operations. The company employs almost 17,000 people in its Free State operations. During their meeting, Beyers Nel highlighted Harmony’s contribution to the Free State economy in the 2024 financial year, with a staggering R11.5 billion in shared economic value. This value is spread across the supply chain, mine community development initiatives, training and skills development, bursaries, taxes, and royalties.
Through collaborative efforts with industry partners including the Tshiamiso Trust, MBOD (Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases), and CCOD (Compensation Commission for Occupational Diseases), R357 million has been distributed to Free State mineworkers through the Ex-Mineworkers Programme. Currently, 1,542 Harmony-related mineworkers still have outstanding unpaid CCOD claims.
Furthermore, over and above the Social and Labour Plan (SLP) mine community development projects, Harmony has implemented Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives totalling R28 million, over the last four financial years, impacting over 65 000 lives. These initiatives cover, amongst others, education, sports, food security, the fight against gender-based violence, and more.
Harmony plans to invest a substantial R2.2 billion in its Free State operations during the 2025 financial year, demonstrating its commitment to the Free State economy for many years to come.
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