Media Coverage

Launch of Waterloo Primary Media Centre

DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-MEDIA CENTRE AT WATERLOO

Tongaat Hulett in partnership with Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), Dube TradePort (DTP), Leitch Landscapes and the Waterloo community, in a Community Public Private Partnership (CPPP) continued its commitment to promoting access to quality education through the establishment of a Multi-Media Centre at the Primary School in Waterloo, Ward 58 eThekwini Municipality. On 3 September 2009 MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu, MEC Senzo Mchunu, Mayor Obed Mlaba and the participating corporate partners will join the local community in celebrating the opening of the Multi-Media Centre.

Peter Staude, Tongaat Hulett’s CEO says, “Corporate Social Partnership focuses on collaborating with communities in order to understand the social development challenges from communities’ point of view and through joint effort empower them towards improving their lives and their environments. Tongaat Hulett considers the development of integrated communities as a core value of its sustainable development philosophy.”

Monhla Hlahla, CEO of ACSA said, “The media centre and library at Waterloo is about empowering the youth from the Waterloo community to become more enthused and informed about their environment, their community and certainly it will be a window of opportunity for them to reach the world”.

Hlahla continued, “The airport is so close and will become accessible to the learners that attend the school and are from the Waterloo community. We are also proud to be a partner on this project as this media centre forms a platform for the airport to possibly find our future leaders and managers from this community. ACSA is fully committed to the upliftment of the communities that are part of the new airport and we will continue to look at ways to ensure we can take this and other projects to a higher level. We believe that these partnerships involving business and communities will go a long way to uplifting communities while empowering our future leaders.”

“Over the past few months DTP has worked with ACSA, Tongaat Hulett, Ilembe JV, the company building the new airport, Leitch Landscapes and the Waterloo community to construct and provide a fully equipped media centre, computer laboratory and science equipment. The main beneficiaries are going to be young learners who will now have the opportunity to gain high tech skills utilising sophisticated equipment. The Waterloo community now also has the opportunity to build a centre of excellence and produce many future skilled personnel that could contribute qualitatively in building the new knowledge economy”, said Rohan Persad CEO of DTP.

This partnership is an indication that through cooperation, businesses can positively contribute towards the upliftment of the communities around which they operate. Tongaat Hulett was responsible for the provision of the Multi-Media Centre Building while ACSA and DTP provided computers, visual equipment, a library of books and desks. In addition, Leitch Landscape donated all the plants and material required to landscape the area around the Media Centre and also trained local community members to do landscaping.

Waterloo is a vibrant growing community of low-income housing inland of Sibaya Casino, near the new airport development at La Mercy and provides accommodation for people employed in the region. Some of the challenges of a growing community include the need to improve the living environment as well as addressing the level of unemployment and Tongaat Hulett, ACSA, DTP and Leitch Landscapes are uniquely positioned to contribute towards these challenges.

Councillor Mxolisi Ndzimbomvu speaking on behalf of the Waterloo community says, “I want to thank Tongaat Hulett, ACSA, DTP and Leitch Landscapes for their contributions to this project. Their support of local businesses has ensured that people from within our community have been responsible for the building of the Multi-Media Centre. As a result, skills have been developed and children from our community will have access to quality education.”

Peter Staude concludes, “Tongaat Hulett is committed to positively impacting the communities that surround the areas in which we do business. This partnership with ACSA, DTP, Leitch Landscapes, and the Waterloo community in promoting access to quality education, is one way in which this is being achieved and demonstrated”.

ENDS

Issued by:
ACSA
Colin Naidoo
Manager: Communications and Brand
Durban International and National Airports
Airports Company South Africa
Website: www.acsa.co.za

DTP
Joanne Hyatt
Corporate Affairs Executive
Telephone: 031 307 2857
Website: www.dubetradeport.co.za

Tongaat Hulett
Michelle Jean-Louis
Communications Executive
Telephone: 032 439 4101
Website: www.tongaat.co.za

Tongaat Hulett - 08 Sep 2009