The new Sinqobile Primary Healthcare Clinic was officially opened by Transalloys in partnership with the Department of Health yesterday.  Valued at over R11m and sponsored by Transalloys, the new facility is anticipated to improve the lives and wellbeing of over 50 000 beneficiaries per annum, delivering on the promise of its name: “to overcome” or “conquer”.

Located in the heart of the Vosman community in eMalahleni, yesterday’s official opening of the Sinqobile Clinic has been just three years in the making. Identified in 2019 as a key community priority by Transalloys through its ongoing stakeholder engagement process, the company set about initiating this Corporate Social Investment (CSI) funded project to design and build the primary healthcare facility.

“From the outset, our intention was to directly impact the lives and health of the local community of Vosman and beyond – giving doorstep access to the primary healthcare services they need; eight hours a day, five days a week,” explained Theo Morkel, the General Manager of Transalloys. “Once established and patient-ready, we would then hand the facility over to the Department of Health which will manage it going forward. We’re here to celebrate this milestone today.”

Speaking at the event, the Premier of Mpumalanga Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane highlighted the potential the clinic would unlock for the local community: “Focusing on mother and child health; HIV/ AIDS and TB treatment; and disease prevention and control, the Sinqobile Clinic will improve the overall health and healthcare outcomes of our community. This, in turn, will impact the quality of life within Vosman and surrounding areas – giving individuals and families better life opportunities. Community members will no longer need to travel far distances to receive medical advice and help. Expecting mothers will be supported throughout their pregnancies. Children will be immunised, and our grandmothers and grandfathers will be assisted into their old age with care and compassion. This makes today a significant day for all of us.”

While the clinic itself will stand as a beacon of hope and the “ability to overcome” for the broader community, Morkel emphasised that the project was impact-driven and led from the outset; “From the very beginning, we wanted to make every rand invested here count. Key indicators and expectations were specified upfront in all contracts upfront – looking for meaningful and innovative ways in which suppliers could serve the community whilst delivering on the work. As such, local targets were set – and met – regarding suppliers, recruitment, procurement,, community social investment, skills development and job creation.

“This has meant that the clinic we’re opening together today has essentially been built for the community by the community. We thank the 12 local suppliers involved in different parts of this contract, and the 78 community members who helped build the clinic. We also acknowledge the ongoing partnership of the lead contractor who invested an additional R63 000 in ensuring meaningful skills transfer and development, as well as contributing over R123 000 to support vulnerable community members (including pensioners and orphans) throughout the contract duration. The legacy they have helped us create will always be acknowledged and valued.”

With 15 permanent jobs created at the new clinic, including those for nurses, security officials, cleaning staff and facilities management, and local SMEs to provide additional services where required, the Sinqobile Clinic is sure to become a new local hub that sparks growth and brings positive change.

“As Transalloys, we’re privileged to be able to hand Sinqobile Clinic over to the greater community of Vosman today,” said Morkel. “Our wish remains that it delivers on its founding purpose well into the future. May its patients and their loved ones be blessed with good health and long lives where they see their children and their children’s children grow old with them. In this way we will truly have realised today's vision of success,” he concluded.

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About Transalloys
Started in the mid-1960s, Transalloys is Africa’s leading producer of manganese ferroalloys: essential inputs into steel products that make our world work. The company has a proud history of contribution to South Africa through its consistent quality manufacturing and beneficiation processes. It employs over 600 team members and engages with over 50 000 suppliers in its value chain.

Transalloys’ current plant comprises a total of five submerged arc furnaces, as well as an oxygen-blown converter, which was commissioned in 2020. Its facilities also include raw material and finished product handling and processing facilities, as well as a slag-processing plant.

It produces an average of 155 000 tons of manganese ferroalloys per annum, making it one of the largest manufacturers on the continent, with products marketed predominantly in the USA and Europe.

For more information on Transalloys, please visit www.transalloys.co.za