Michael Lee Enterprises to build town at Nkomazi
PIGG’S PEAK – Michael Lee Enterprises is set to build a new town at Nkomazi. This was revealed during the scoping meeting held at Killarney Sports Ground in Pigg’s Peak yesterday.
The new town, according to the enterprise group will have a mall, school, church, housing units for the staff as well as a recreational centre.
The town, which will be located near the Maguga Dam and will be constructed in a 25-hactare site that has been preserved by His Majesty King Mswati III for the company. Further, the company will also construct 12 factory shells.
This was revealed by Michael Lee Enterprises Operations Director, Mfanufikile Mashinini, much to the delight of the residents who were present during the meeting.
The director revealed that some of the communities and shops that are currently on the site would be relocated. Mashinini said besides the new town, the company also aimed to invest in the construction of a clinic and a playground at Ndeva near the Malolotja Game Reserve.
Further, the company will also construct staff housing units at Luhhumaneni as well as a clinic, educational facility and a basketball ground.
Mashinini said as a company, they were committed to improving the lives of the people residing within the six chiefdoms being Nsangwini, Nginamadvolo, Luhlangotsini, Ndeva, Bulembu and Pigg’s Peak.
Adding, the director said the company had tasked a team to look into the relocation of some of the homesteads and mentioned that there were homesteads that would be relocated due to the nature of the project at hand and the mining.
He further assured that during the relocation process, the company would adhere to all the regulations in place. The director also assured that for all the homesteads that would be relocated, then the company would ensure that they were better off.
“For instance, if a homestead has a two-room house, we will construct a better house for them and make the lives of those who will be relocated better,” he said.
IMPORTANCE
Mashinini also mentioned that they were aware that there might be structures of importance such as trees and graves that may need to be relocated as well and understood that this needed to be done in collaboration with the affected homesteads while following all the regulations of the country.
He further acknowledged that the establishment of a mine in an area had both positive and negative impacts and assured that the company would do all it could to preserve the environment, including trees and animals living around the area.
“That is why we conduct environmental studies to ensure that all these issues are factored in and come up with mitigations,” he said.
Pigg’s Peak Indvuna Yenkhundla Mthobisi Vilakati said as a constituency, they were grateful for the investment, as this would improve the lives of the people under the constituency. He said the mine would bring the much needed jobs and development in the constituency.
“We are grateful to Michael Lee Enterprises for choosing to invest in Pigg’s Peak as well as His Majesty the King for granting the company the mining licence,” he said.
He further mentioned that as a constituency council, their main aim was to improve the lives of the people through government initiatives and funding. He further emphasised that the establishment of the mine would change the lives of the people for the better.
In February 2024, His Majesty the King granted the company a licence to undertake a full-scale Green Chert mining at Malolotja, which has a guarantee of 3 500 jobs.
Following the granting of the licence by the King, Company Director Michael Lee, said it was through the King’s wisdom and vision for the country that his company got the licence.
Lee mentioned that the signing of the licence by the King was a win-win situation, as emaSwati were now guaranteed decent jobs. Despite that the company had all along held a prospecting licence, the businessman said workers were entitled to medical aid and funeral cover. He said the lowest paid employee got E3 200.
“This we did despite that we had a prospecting licence,” he said.
He assured the King and Her Majesty Indlovukazi, together with emaSwati that the granting of the licence by the head of State to signal serious work had influenced C. Steinweg Bridge to take interest in relocating to the country to invest and create jobs as well.
Lee disclosed that C. Steinweg Bridge was interested in sugar, iron ore and timber. He said there was also another company that was interested in the manufacturing of socks and pharmaceutical products.
He said Michael Lee Enterprises was not in the country to manipulate or monopolise natural resources, but to ensure that emaSwati benefitted from the mineral. To show determination and commitment to local investment, he said his company spent E7 million on creating a road leading to the mine site. He said they also spent money on mining trucks, with each costing E6 million.
“I want to thank the King for his warm welcome and words of encouragement during his visit to the mine site,” he said. Lee is currently the Chairman of the Africa Chamber of Commerce for Taiwan and has also been nominated for the position of chairperson for the World Chamber of Commerce for Taiwan. So far, he stands for the election unopposed. The elections will be held in October 2024.
His company once got the licence but could not undertake the project because of environmental issues at Malolotja, as the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC) was opposed to mining in that area.