Rössing under new management confirms its ongoing support for community projects
The Rössing mine under its new owners, China National Uranium Corporation, is just as committed to its corporate social investments as Rio Tinto was. This week the mine’s new management confirmed that the mine will continue to play a leading social role, not only in the communities where it operates, but also on a much wider scale.
The mine’s new Managing Director, Johan Coetzee said “As a company, we hope to work closely with our communities especially in the communities [where] we operate. We have embarked on several projects since the take-over by CNUC and we hope to extend our involvement in the communities beyond the Erongo region.”
Since the Chinese national uranium company took control of Rössing in July this year, Rössing Uranium, the mine’s owner, and its social investment arm, the Rössing Foundation, have strengthened its community projects, first in the Erongo region but also in regions further afield, supporting community projects that promote agriculture, environmental conservation and education.
China National Uranium Corporation’s chairperson, Li Youliang confirmed their continued social involvement, saying “As the new majority shareholder, we believe in empowering communities and making a positive difference in the communities around us.”
Moving beyond Erongo, Rössing Uranium in partnership with the foundation selected 20 excellent learners from Kahenge Combined School in the Kavango West region during the second semester of this year. The group attend a week-long excursion at the Namib Desert Environmental Trust (NaDEET) at the Namibrand reserve in the south.
The learners were educated in climate change and adaptability in resource use, at the same time teaching them how to incorporate this new knowledge into their daily lives.
Rössing Uranium has also supported other projects such as to the Swakopmund Municipality’s annual Project Shine to clean up the beach, roads and sensitive areas in the desert.
Meanwhile, Rössing and the Rössing Foundation also carried out a feasibility study at the Dreamland Garden project where vegetables are grown in Arandis. Furthermore, the mine is active in supporting local schools with a range of activities.
The Rössing mine has been a major uranium producer for the past forty years while China National Uranium Corporation is a subsidiary of the country’s nuclear operator, responsible for managing its domestic and foreign uranium investments.
Caption: Twenty Grade 10 learners from Kahenge Combined School in the Kavango West region attended a week-long excursion funded by Rössing Uranium at the Namib Desert Environmental Trust (NaDEET) in the southern Namib where they learned about climate change and its effects.
