Amplats reaches deal with tribal leader for more transparent Mapela Trust structure
A South African tribal leader has agreed to a more transparent structure for a R175m community trust funded by Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), a move that aims to curb unrest around the firm’s most profitable mine. The changes relate to the Mapela Trust, which was set up to fund development projects in communities around Amplats’s Mogalakwena operation, the world’s largest open-pit platinum mine and the Anglo American unit’s main cash spinner. The structure of the fund has proved a flashpoint, with local communities saying the way cash was spent was not transparent and too much authority was given to the local chief (kgoshi) to determine where money was invested. More than two years ago, protests temporarily closed the mine and community leaders had threatened more action to demand changes. Lawyers representing local communities told Reuters a deal between Amplats and the tribal chief had been reached. "There is a significant dilution of the chief’s power across the board," Johan...
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