Lonmin hands over R10 million clinic in Limpopo

16 December 2012 - 16:08 By Sapa
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Platinum giant Lonmin has handed over a new R10 million clinic to health authorities in Limpopo, it said in a statement on Sunday.

The company said the establishment of the facility, at Hwelereng, followed the upgrading of the clinic at Marikana, in neighbouring North West.

The Hwelereng clinic was handed over on Thursday.

"The people living in Hwelereng had no existing infrastructure and were travelling, often by foot, to the closest (clinic)," said Desiree Monareng, the company's development manager for community health.

"Can you imagine having to do this when you're feeling ill?"

Among the health services offered would be testing for HIV and Aids and tuberculosis.

"Lonmin hopes to see a decrease [in the number of cases] with the construction of the Hwelereng clinic working hand-in-hand with Lonmin's peer-educator and home-based carer programme," said Monareng.

Limpopo's health and social development MEC, Norman Mabasa, said decent health care was vital to people living in areas such as Hwelereng.

Lonmin said it had promised to complete the clinic this year.

On August 16, 34 striking workers at Lonmin's platinum mine in Marikana, were shot dead during a confrontation with police.

The Farlam commission of inquiry is investigating the shooting.

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