PNRB, a firm led by former BCL boss Montwedi Mphathi has dared the residents of the SPEDU region to dream of the "return to life" of their town after it acquired the assets of the BCL Mine.
Now, less than a year after reaching an agreement to purchase the BCL mine, the subsidiary of Canadian nickel developer, Premium Nickel Resources has already hit the ground running with a project geared towards empowering the people of the region through a variety of activities.
PNRB has proposed to host an annual cultural and creative, entrepreneurship, sports and arts, development programme, which will be celebrated in the SPEDU region as a Carnival.
PNRB Environmental, Social and Governance Manager, Shamil Agosi said this is part of the company’s commitment to drive environmental sustainability. “We want to be a benchmark of a mine with a difference.
Phikwe has been down and termed names like Ghost town, so we want to change that through this project,” said Agosi. She said as the people of the area celebrate independence, PRNB has decided to back it up with Tsholofelo Carnival. “People are praying for a better Phikwe. As they celebrate independence, there is hope that the economy of the area will come to life again and that’s the tsholohelo imperative that we are talking about. We want Phikwe to be better again,” she added.
Among other things, there will be an Arts Show & Exhibition on September 29, Independence Day Celebration Carnival Parade as well as the Carnival music festival. The organisers have assembled a Carnival Ensemble, which was drawn from artists from the SPEDU region.
This include Pantsula, Gumboots dance, Phathisi, Setapa, Tsutsube, Sebirwa, Poetry, Breakdance, Singing and acting and drama. For the music festival, the line-up includes South African duo Sdala B & Page and Senior Oats.
While from the local shores there is Han C, Casper The DJ, MOD, Motlha, Maghebula, Skokovia, DJ Kham, Mabdee, Da Mix BW, DJ Howard, DJ Sker, DJ Visa, DJ Gus Match, DJ Knight, Phologolo, Sediba Sa Ngwao and Balaa Kgosi. Hey Nyenaah will be the Master of Ceremony, accompanied by a local upcoming MC who will be selected from the auditions that will be on September 17.
