Medupi Legacy benefits rural schools and clinic

Rural communities in and around Lephalale in Limpopo stand to benefit from the Medupi Legacy project’s multimillion-rand investments in two local schools and a clinic.

Two schools and a clinic in Limpopo have benefitted from the Medupi Legacy project set up by the Department of Public Enterprises and Eskom’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) arm.
Deputy Minister Ben Martins visited Tshukudu Primary and Sethula Secondary schools in Limpopo recently to hand over furniture and new buildings to local communities.

The R11.4 million act of generosity forms part of the legacy project of the Medupi power plant. The new plant is located in Lephalale, close to the rural villages of Bangalong and Ga-Monyeki, which the schools serve.

The deputy minister was joined by Limpopo Education MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe and Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba. The group also visited Marapong Health Centre in Lephalale to inspect a clinic newly refurbished under the project.

The clinic re-opened in March offering medical services for 12 hours a day. The national Department of Health plans to eventually have the clinic serve the community 24 hours a day.

Public-private partnerships

Lephalale’s population has grown by more than 30 per cent in the last few years, putting a strain on the municipality’s ability to meet the needs of the fast-growing town. The Medupi Legacy project invested R5 million to renovate the clinic building.

The project was run in collaboration with the Department of Health, the Lephalale local municipality and mining company Exxaro. This public-private partnership ensured that the local community were employed during the project.

Some R8.6 million has also been invested in a mobile primary health care unit for the children of Marapong township. Children will benefit from medical treatment that comes to them at school, where they can get their eyes tested, be seen by a dentist and get general check-ups. The project was identified by the Lephalale Development Forum, another public-private partnership, which works to identify and coordinate infrastructure projects in the municipality.  

The forum’s Jacques Snyman said: “This is an example of what can be achieved when all stakeholders in the area work together towards the same goal – creating facilities that benefit our local communities.”