South African thermal coal business Thungela on May 4 handed over two completed social and labour plan (SLP) projects to the Emalahleni local municipality – the new Phola fire station and the revamped Ogies taxi rank.

“These initiatives signify the company’s continued dedication to the Ogies and Phola communities and its promise to continue investing in projects and facilities that benefit residents,” Thungela extols in a statement.

The Phola fire station, which forms part of the Zibulo Colliery’s SLP, will assist the municipality’s under-resourced emergency department, enabling it to respond to fire outbreaks more effectively, Thungela outlines.

The fire station is expected to considerably enhance access to vital emergency response services in a community that has experienced a growth in population.

Until recently, Ogies’ nearest fire station was 30 km away and had limited resources. The Phola fire station is slated to provide relief to existing emergency services infrastructure and reduce the local emergency response times.

“We have seen an increase in fire incidents recently. Because of loadshedding many of our residents have resorted to using fire in their homes. So, the timing of this donation could not be better.

“The fire station should serve as a centre of excellence where the community benefits through programmes that address fire safety. We thank Thungela for meeting this essential need and bringing this fire station closer to the community,” says Emalahleni mayor Connie Nkalitshana.

Owing to a large population in the community using public transport, Thungela partnered with the Ogies Phola Taxi Association and the Emalahleni local municipality to renovate the taxi rank in Ogies.

The renovations included the painting of the facility, and revamping the kitchen and ablution area inside the office space.

Moreover, a boardroom as well as an outside ablution facility for commuters, were built. The boardroom will be earmarked for use during community engagement meetings.

Thungela corporate affairs executive head Mpumi Sithole highlights that both projects were awarded to a local, woman owned-construction company, which in turn created job opportunities for the community members.