Anglo American Annual Report 2012

We offer a range of housing optionsto our South African mineworkers aspart of our broader strategy to improvethe living conditions of our employees.IMPROVING HOUSING IN SOUTH AFRICAWe want all our employees to enjoy quality housingand living conditions. In South Africa, where thereis a shortage of affordable housing and longwaiting lists for units being built, this is a particularchallenge. In partnership with local and provincialgovernment, we help to alleviate this problem.We invest in improving the housing and livingconditions of employees and making it possiblefor them to buy their own homes in sustainableareas near our mining operations. Our vision isthat all of our employees in mining communitieswho would like family accommodation havethat option.Our Platinum, Iron Ore, Thermal Coal businessesand De Beers proactively engage in developingproperly serviced land to facilitate housingdevelopment in areas where services areinadequate or do not exist. The business unitscollaborate with reputable developers toencourage and promote affordable homeownership among employees at all levels. Wherepossible, land is donated to the municipality tofacilitate the rehousing of communities residingin informal settlements. We engage with theChamber of Mines and with organised labour toaddress issues and options for home ownership.While 11,648 employees currently reside in mineaccommodation, our objective is to lessenemployee dependency on the company toprovide accommodation.Thermal Coal• Currently 33% of employees live inmine-provided accommodation.• 203 houses have been built for saleto date.• A new project to provide an additional272 units in the eMalahleni areahas commenced.De Beers• De Beers has no hostels at itsthree South African operations.• Currently engaging with South Africa’sNational Union of Mineworkers (NUM)regarding the facilitation of homeownership.• Approximately 550 houses planned tobe built across three operations andinvestigations on rent-to-buy optionsare under way.11,648EMPLOYEES AT OUR SOUTH AFRICANOPERATIONS STAYING IN MINEACCOMMODATION.Platinum• 6,743 employees reside in companyand privately leased houses.• All hostels have been converted intosingle accommodation villages.• There are four ongoing housing projectsin its portfolio.Iron Ore• From March 2012, employees no longerstay in hostels.• Sishen has built 1,662 houses toaccommodate their employees.• Sishen plans to build an additional 1,720houses in Kathu for current and futurehousing needs.“As an industry, we need to work withour stakeholders to discuss openlyhow the migrant labour system canbe changed to create moresustainable lives and communities.”Cynthia CarrollChief Executive01Main Platinum Unionsouth mine time andattendance operatorGift Mpho takespossession of one ofthe 400 new housesbeing built at theNortham Extension 6Housing Project.01 These housesfor Thermal Coalemployees and theirfamilies are beingbuilt with bricksmade partly fromgypsum – whichwas formerlydiscarded as awaste product –from theeMalahleniwater-treatmentplant.Operating and financial reviewAnglo American plc Annual Report 2012 33