Sasol hands over houses, electricity sub-station and two-way radios to Govan Mbeki Municipality
As part of Sasol’s ongoing housing scheme under the Social Labour Plan (SLP) programme, today the company officially handed over almost 40 houses to residents of Govan Mbeki Municipality. These houses are located in eMbalenhle and Secunda. Initiated in 2014 by Sasol, the project targets Sasol employees who are first-time homebuyers and qualify for funding.
To date, over 260 houses have been handed over to qualifying employees in eMbalenhle, Secunda, and Sasolburg in the Free State province.
“Through this initiative, Sasol is not just providing a roof over people’s heads, but we are restoring dignity and hope to those who thought owning a home was out of reach,” stated Sandile Siyaya, Sasol Mining Senior Vice President.
By providing affordable housing to permanent Sasol Mining employees, Sasol addresses one of the critical social issues facing the country, which is access to housing. Some of the key qualifying criteria for the scheme are that applicants must not have previous government subsidies and not earn more than R40 000 per month.
Embalenhle electricity sub-station
To support the delivery of electricity to the growing population, Sasol also unveiled Phases 1 and 2 of the upgraded electricity sub-station in eMbalenhle. The infrastructure is a critical component in helping the local Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) reduce the occurrence of unplanned power outages due to the overloading of infrastructure.
Both initiatives further demonstrate Sasol’s commitment of uplifting fenceline communities and collaborating with public and private institutions to improve lives.
Two-way radios
Furthermore, Sasol donated nine Motorola two-way radios, valued at R200 000, to the Govan Mbeki Municipality Traffic Department (GMMTD) to enhance their emergency response capabilities. This donation follows a previous donation of radios to GMM Emergency Services in 2023, which has been effectively utilised. The two-way radios will ensure reliable communication, even in areas with cellphone network failures. Sasol will also maintain the
communication network repeaters and external antennas covering most of Govan Mbeki, at no cost to GMM. The radios come with a one-year warranty and have been programmed for immediate use.
“These initiatives are in line with our Sasol values, where we always strive to empower our people, uplift communities, and ensure a safer and more sustainable future for all,” concluded Siyaya.
