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Community ProjectsAt Scaw Metals, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is viewed as a decision-making and implementation process that guides all of the activities in the protection and promotion of human rights, socio-economic contributions and labour considerations including health and safety, environmental performance and compliance with legal requirements at all the operations. CSR involves a commitment to contribute to the economic, environmental and social sustainability of communities through the ongoing engagement of stakeholders, the active participation of communities impacted by group activities and the public reporting of group policies and performance in the economic, environmental and social arenas. A direct intervention in the sustainable development of communities is in the form of community social investment (CSI). South AfricaWelding Training SchoolDuring 2004 Scaw established a Community Training School at its Germiston site that offers courses in welding and computing skills. The welding training school was established to offer young, unemployed members of the community an opportunity to obtain a basic qualification in welding. The college admits disadvantaged, young, unemployed school leavers who come from very poor families who would otherwise be unable to gain access to formal training. The welding course is registered with the Metal Industry's training authority (MERSETA) as a skills training course, and ensures that trainees reach certain levels of competence in welding. The course content has standards of learning which are recognised nationally and against which the trainee must be assessed for competency before certificates are granted. Obtaining this level of skill could lead to self-employment in the manufacture of steel products like furniture and security gates. Alternatively, it could increase the individual’s chance of finding formal employment in industry. The training school has the capacity to enroll up to 20 learners at a time and does not charge any fees. The skills course takes place over a three month period, enabling the college to train up to 80 people per annum. Computer Skills Training SchoolA computer skills school was established in 2004. The computer skills school admits young unemployed school leavers who come from disadvantaged families who would otherwise be unable to gain access to formal training. Training in the general suite of software packages used in commerce and industry is provided, and a certificate of competency is provided to successful trainees. This course is very new, and the company is still in the process of having it registered and accredited by the industry training authorities. The computer training school can accommodate 16 trainees at a time. Training is conducted over a three month period which enables 64 trainees to qualify each year. The trainees will be equipped with a skill which will enhance their chances of finding formal employment. In the past two years 209 young, unemployed members of the community have graduated from these two schools. Rietfontein Phytoremediation ProjectEnvironmental and ecological degradation in the greater Ekurhuleni area have been experienced over the last few years. Through engagement with stakeholders, Scaw Metals identified an opportunity for involvement in the phytoremediation project. The project has been a success, and due to the demand for plants that are tolerant of local climatic conditions in the Ekurhuleni area and the interest in the Rietfontein Area B Landfill project by the Ekurhuleni Municipality, a second Community Nursery (in KwaThema) was developed and fostered in 2006. The nursery was nominated by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in October 2005, and joined the Nursery Training course in December 2005. Scaw Metals Group collaborated on a health awareness pamphlet with the South African National Civics Organisation (SANCO). Ten thousand pamphlets on typhoid and general hygiene were distributed to schools in Ekurhuleni. One student from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), Patrick Belebese, was supported by this project in 2005. Patrick completed part of his 6-month practical training for his Forestry Diploma on the Rietfontein landfill site. A two day course on the role of biodiversity in rehabilitation was given in September 2005 by the University of the Witwatersrand from funds awarded to Scaw Metals and Wits by the Technology and Human Resources Industry Programme (THRIP). Plant a Tree, Grow our FutureArbour Day was first celebrated in South Africa in 1983. The event captured the imagination of people who recognised the need for raising the awareness of the value of trees. As sources of building material, food, medicine and scenic beauty, trees play a vital role in the health and well-being of communities. In 1999, collective enthusiasm for the importance of this issue in South Africa inspired the national government to extend the celebration of Arbour Day to National Arbour Week. From 1 to 7 September every year, schools, businesses and organisations are encouraged to participate in community “greening” events to improve the health and beauty of the local environment. Dignitaries from the Ekurhuleni Local Municipality, Councillors Ronnie Kuta and Thandi Baartman, participated in the planting of trees. The opening ceremony entertainment was provided by the children from Lebone Primary School. An educational environmental poster display, including state-of-the-art data and pictures of the Rietfontein Area B Phytoremediation Project, was presented to the various primary schools that attended. The children planted indigenous trees on the site and each child was given a fruit tree to plant in his/her own garden. Approximately 2 500 indigenous trees were given to the children. The schools have included Arbour Week in their curricula wherein the children will compile essays and assignments on ‘their’ plants. These same children will return to the Scaw Metals’ site on an annual basis to monitor the trees. This will include measuring tree growth and washing the dust off the leaves to quantify how much dust the trees have trapped. The initiative was supported by local government departments. Hopefully the Scaw Metals’ Rietfontein Area B Phytoremediation Project will prove to be the forerunner for other successful landfill projects in this country. The Arbor Day activities have proven that rehabilitation projects can have a positive community impact, as evidenced in the support received from the surrounding communities. J. Sterling Morton, who in 1872 became the international father of Arbor Day, said the following: “Other holidays repose upon the past, but Arbor Day proposes for the future”. READ Education TrustIn 2005 and 2006, Scaw Metals provided funds to the Read Education Trust to facilitate literacy projects in conjunction with education authorities at two schools in Katorus region; Tisetsong High School and Lethukuthula High School. The prime focus of the programme is to provide training to teaching staff in the principles of school management and teaching methods, and to upgrade and enrich materials used in teaching English language skills. The project is conducted in high schools that serve an area inhabited by many Scaw employees. Research has shown that there is a high correlation between English language skills and mathematical ability. In supporting READ, the group is also impacting positively on a learner’s ability to do well in technical fields such as mathematics and engineering. Igagasi Primary SchoolThe Igagasi Primary School is located in Spruitview in Ekurhuleni. It was founded in 1993 and serves the communities of Katlehong, Thokoza and Vosloorus, and has over 1,100 pupils. In 2004 and 2005, Scaw management continued to work with the education authorities and various stakeholders involved in approving plans to build a computer centre and a library at the school. Construction work commenced in 2006 and will continue into the first quarter of 2007. Community Neighbourhood News Bulletin and Wadeville Business Against Crime (WBAC)Engagement continues with organisations in the community that are concerned with crime prevention. As a standing member of the WBAC committee, Scaw Metals provides input, where possible, to reduce crime in surrounding communities, and makes a significant contribution towards running WBAC. The group also sponsors a local community organisation that produces a crime prevention newsletter. SportsA variety of sporting activities is sponsored by the group including running, junior cricket and soccer. The teams comprise children from disadvantaged backgrounds who would otherwise not have access to grounds and coaching at the level provided by Scaw Metals. Benefits that accrue to participating children are discussed in the case study later in this report. BEE Courtwise sponsorshipThe name “BEE” is derived from the bumble bee which defies scientific odds in being able to fly, just as BEE Courtwise wishes to succeed in its challenge to bring to justice individuals who commit crimes against children. It is a non-profit company established in response to the poor conviction rate in criminal cases related to child abuse. BEE Courtwise provides court preparation and support for children testifying in cases where they have been abused and offers trauma counselling for adults and children. BEE was given computer software and hardware for its rooms at the Johannesburg Central Police Station from which many of these cases are sent for trial. Special child-friendly witness preparation rooms have been set up to allow children to testify in a more supportive environment. During 2007 Scaw Metals will be helping BEE Courtwise to open a new facility at the Benoni Magistrates Court which will cater for a large section of the population surrounding Scaw Metals’ operations in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan area. HIV/AIDSEach year the group supports an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign at all of its South African operations. Subscribing to the Business Bannerthon programme, banners are purchased for display at the factories and supporting promotional material is distributed to employees. In 2006 the campaign was augmented by industrial theatre as well as presentations by Geddes Nala, an employee who is HIV positive and who has benefited from participation in the group’s antiretroviral therapy programme. Geddes has contributed to HIV/AIDS awareness nationally and internationally through interviews published in a trade union publication in South Africa and in a widely-read Swedish trade union magazine. Hand Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, SowetoDuring 2005 the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund and Scaw Metals donated funds to establish Africa’s first stand-alone hand surgery complex at the Chris Hani Baragwanath (CHB) Hospital on the outskirts of Soweto, Johannesburg. Since the hospital’s inception in 1942, CHB has performed thousands of operations to the hands, arms and nerves in the neck that have been damaged by car accidents, burns, acts of violence, work incidents and other forms of trauma, or are the result of congenital deformities or arthritis. In the past, operations were conducted in the main theatre complex where staff and ageing equipment were shared. In 1976 the hospital became the first in the world to successfully conduct a hand replant operation. The new unit is a separate building equipped with personnel and new facilities for the sole purpose of upper limb surgery. Child care project, Northern KwaZulu-NatalWhile Scaw Metals ran a small foundry on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, it agreed to donate funds, along with voluntary employee contributions, to a community project in the area. In 2001 the business was closed. However, consultations on the community project with ex-employees and other stakeholders continued, with a final decision being made during 2006 to build a child care facility. The group made a contribution towards the building which will ultimately come under the administration of both tribal and local authorities who will ensure ongoing running costs are met and overall management takes place. Katlehong Small Business Development ConferenceScaw was one of the key sponsors of the Katlehong Small Business Development Conference in 2005. The main objectives of the conference were:
St Peter’s Chain Anglican ChurchIn 2007, Scaw Metals will assist the church with the construction of the roof of the church hall. This church was instrumental in assisting community members that were displaced by violence in the early 1990s in the townships of Katlehong and Thokoza in the Ekurhuleni area. The church also conducts many community-based projects including for child care, HIV/AIDS awareness, education and poverty alleviation but it had been hampered in its efforts by the limited space it had available in the church. The new hall will alleviate this constraint. Dinwiddie High SchoolThe school is located near the Germiston operation. Each year Scaw encourages students to apply for apprenticeship training positions at Scaw Metals. One of the recent consultations involved the principal, deputy principal and a small number of highly-motivated learners who requested funding to enable a number of students to attend an international leadership programme during 2007. Management has approved the request and is presently involved in further consultations with the school principle and the guidance teacher in planning the trip. J.R. Choeu Express and CoachesScaw Metals makes use of a contracted transport company, J.R. Choeu Express and Coaches, to bus some of its employees to and from work. This is a black-owned bus company with a significant presence in Gauteng. To ensure the safety of employees while in transit, Scaw sponsored safety training for drivers, installed seatbelts in the buses and contracted an independent safety assessment company to inspect the buses’ brakes. The training included behaviour-based safety training and awareness, a programme used throughout the Scaw group. The desired outcome was to enhance the safety of both Scaw employees and the members of the public who use the J.R. Choeu bus service. Overseas operationsChileCommunity projects in Chile include support to social welfare organisations who work with vulnerable sectors of society such as women and children, education in the form of scholarships and other community-based organisations. Assistance has been given to the police and fire-fighting agencies and a number of city projects, including anti-drug abuse campaigns. Support has been provided for organisations and schools that coordinate sporting activities for the benefit of the youth, and for a number of charities, including those that run housing initiatives for the poor and a home for abandoned children. Brief descriptions of significant projects that have been funded or supported by the Chilean operations are given below:
PeruOperations contribute to charities and to educational initiatives, including the construction of a classroom at a nearby school.
PhilippinesThe company contributed to various charities through the Philippines Business for Social Progress (PBSP), an NGO involved in numerous social programmes. PBSP is one the largest NGOs in the country and its membership consists of more than 100 businesses. These companies make contributions to the PBSP which, in turn, plans and manages the implementation of all approved CSR projects. The operation’s contributions and participation include:
CanadaAltaSteel has been part of the Scaw Metals Group since 2006, and its community engagement processes are being reviewed and will be guided by Scaw in the future. Both the AltaSteel and Moly-Cop Canadian operations currently contribute to various charities through the organisation United Way. United Way is a non-profit charity whose activities focus on improving the long-term health of communities. The charity also conducts fund-raising campaigns and in turn supports hundreds of smaller social welfare organisations. AltaSteel is a member of the Strathcona Industrial Association (SIA), a voluntary business organisation that was formed in 1974 and works with communities and government agencies to promote a safe and healthy working and living environment in and around areas where member companies operate. As part of the SIA mandate, members operate an ambient air monitoring network, ensure emergency preparedness and land planning, and increase awareness of the industry in the community through a number of community awareness programmes, including emergency response procedures. AustraliaPWB Anchor in Melbourne, Australia, provides support in maintaining a local community radio station. The station is used for a variety of community programmes, and was recently very effective in providing information to the community and co-ordinating emergency services during a spate of massive bush fires which threatened surrounding residential areas.
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