In an effort to achieve herd immunity, black empowered mining company Exxaro Resources partnered with the Provincial Departments of Health in Limpopo and Mpumalanga to launch the Covid-19 vaccination rollout programme. The rollout programme is part of a national campaign under the auspices of the National Department of Health.
Yesterday, Exxaro Resources hosted eMalahleni Executive Mayor Cllr Linah Malatjie, and Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni – Tsipane at Matla Mine..
“It’s a privilege to be addressing management of Matla Coal & Exxaro. We are encouraged by Exxaro’s occupational health and wellness strategy, which outlines to us the learnings that we as a department can take on and implement, so that we can combat this pandemic,” expressed Hon. Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane
At Grootegeluk Mine, in Lephalale, the group hosted the Limpopo MEC for Health Dr Phophi Ramathuba at the Exxaro Marapong Occupational Health Centre. In her address, Dr. P Ramathuba said, “In light of the economic contribution the mining sector has in the country and especially in the Waterberg area, we thought it befitting that the Limpopo Department of Health launches the vaccination for 35-year-olds and above with a strategic partner, such as Exxaro’s Grootegeluk mine.”
Acting Mayor Cllr William Motlokwa, who supports this approach, also attended the launch in Lephalale. He said, “We have lost too many family members and colleagues to this virus, which is why we continue to encourage our community members to vaccinate. We have to reach the required herd immunity as quickly as possible for us to return to normality– our people are hungry.”
Mzila Mthenjane, Executive Head, Stakeholder Affairs at Exxaro said, “We believe in Zero Harm as a value system. We have realised that the degree of separation between being an employee and a community member is a second apart and therefore the call to collaborate with the Provincial Departments of Health, to successfully implement the National Department of Health’s vaccine rollout mandate, was an easy call to heed. We have a common goal – to ensure that we reach immunity and as far as possible, save as many lives as we can.”
These outreach programmes, led by the Department of Health and supported by Exxaro, have been further extended to various activations in communities and malls through peer educators and home-based care-givers, who lobby and conduct health education around COVID-19 and the benefits of vaccination. The Department of Health has committed to assist Exxaro with speedily vaccinating their employees and their family members as per qualifying age-group cohort.