Programme Director
Leadership of Goldfields
Members of the community of Goldfields
Structures involved in transformation programs at Goldfields
And most importantly, our guests of honour, the Women at
Goldfields.
It is a great honour and privilege to be part of this auspicious event on such a monumentally important day of the calendar. Let us just take a moment to wish the father of our nation, Tata Mandela good health and a speedy recovery.
Today and the entire month of August are commonly associated with the gender transformation agenda. This time of the year, we as a nation reflect on the bravery and courage of women to commemorate the historic stand that was taken by tens of thousands of pioneering the discourse of women in 1956 against the apartheid regime and it’s discriminatory statutes that separated families and destroyed homes of countless black South Africans.
Over the past twenty years of a democratic dispensation, we have made great strides to normalize our society, as the government embarked on a process of rewriting the repugnant laws of the past. Today we celebrate a progressive Constitution, the Supreme Law, that protects the rights of women and compels society towards true equality. This political reform has resulted in our beloved country featuring eminently in global for representation of women in parliament and in government.
However, this is not reflective in the business environment, where women, who constitute 52% of the country’s demographic, only account for 3.6% of CEO positions, 5.5% of chairperson positions, 17.1% of directorships and 21.4% of executive management positions in the entire economy of South Africa.
The mining industry by its very nature and for historical reasons, still reflects an ethos that is a reflection of the male dominance of this sector.
There has been a welcomed increase of women participation in the mining sector since the promulgation of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 28 of 2002.
However, it has been noted with great concern that some women are employed in occupations without recognizing that women are physically and physiologically different from their male colleagues. The matter must be addressed to ensure that there is a fair representation and participation of women across all levels in the mining sector.
ROLE OF MINING IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY
Let me hasten to say that we are confident that the recently signed Framework Agreement, which represents the efforts and commitment of the bulk of stakeholders, seeks tostabilize and normalise the mining industry. We have confidence in the prospects of achieving its intentions, as guided by our history of collectivism to find enduring solutions in the country and indeed the mining industry.
Our country is ranked as the world’s richest in terms of mineral resources, with mining being one of the key economic sectors that can meaningfully contribute to economic prosperity, job creation and transformation, consistent with Government’s objectives of higher and more balanced economic growth.
It is this sunrise industry that has shed the light into South Africa’s economic development for more than a century. The sophisticated economic structure being enjoyed by the country is a direct result of the development of the sector over the years. The nation treasures the significance of the industry and nurtures its sustainable, transformative, safe, healthy and inclusive growth. The industry also employs 2.9 per cent of the total workforce in the country and has created jobs at an average rate of some 8 000 per annum during the recent difficult time of a prolonged global economic depression. Mining has also been identified as one of the major contributing industries to the achievement of the objectives of the National Development Plan.
WOMEN IN MINING
Amongst the HDSA individuals, women, particularly black women, were the most affected parties by socio-economic discriminatory practices of the past. However, there has been a welcomed increase of women participation in the mining sector since the promulgation of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 28 of 2002. The number of women employed in the mining industry has more than trebled, from around 15 000 in 2004 to 48 420 in 2012, which represents 9.2 per cent of the total workforce in the industry.
We have created a predictable mining regulatory framework, congruent with global best practice, which is aligned to the dynamic socio-economic and political landscape of our country.
The Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) recognizes the State’s custodianship of the nation’s mineral resources, and is given further impetus by the Mining Charter of 2004, which was reviewed in 2009.
The key objective of the Mining Charter is to accelerate transformation in the mining industry, and require transformation with regard to amongst others employment equity, ownership and human resource development.
This industry needs more female role models to show that it is open to women and that they can actually thrive in this environment. However, for women to play a greater role they need to get over a number of hurdles. For instance, women must stop allowing themselves to be seen in the existing traditional roles of administrators, secretaries or human resources employees.
Given the vast opportunities that are provided by the Mining Charter, women must strive to enter the mining industry; either as owners or mining professionals. However, both of these require requisite skills and training.
In this regard, Government is also collaborating with our social partners through the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) to improve on skills development and to increase the participation of women at all levels of the mining sector.
To this end, some of the programmes include ABET, artisan development, up-skilling of artisan aides, developing black managers, fostering skills required to support mineral beneficiation, internships, work experience, maths and science, issuing bursaries on mining related courses and , training Health and Safety Reps and Shop Stewards.
The department is also working together with the MQA on a learner inspector programme where approximately 50 graduates will be placed at different mines, on a yearly basis, to undergo experiential training which will result in fully qualified inspectors.
There are of course, distinct women who continue to be an inspiration, the likes of Mme Daphney Mashile-Nkosi, the founder and Chairwoman of Kalahari Resources. She represents the genuine intentions of transformation of the sector as the first black woman to own manganese and sinter plant. This woman
continues to be an inspiration with her famous words, “Women give life, and not end it”.
It was also comforting to see that in my recent engagement at the University of the Witwatersrand, a larger proportion of representation of science and engineering students from Universities of Johannesburg, Witwatersrand, and Pretoria, were female – which validates the view that the transformation policy is working. Young girls are now exposed to career opportunities within mining and exploration and nowadays see mining as a career of choice.
One example of such technocrats that come to mind is that of a prominent young woman in the mining industry, Ms Nompumelelo Zikalala, the former General Manager of Voerspoed Diamond Mine, who recently arose to Vice President of the Diamond Trading Company South Africa. She has proven the stereotype wrong, and shown that women are capable and competent to efficiently run large mining operations. She is responsible for an operation with a complement of over 400 employees and 27% of that workforce is women.
It is critical that the mining sector continues to push boundaries and work at changing the perceptions of the industry towards women, and ensure that issues of employment, retention and promotion of women at all levels, including decision-making positions of the business, receive the necessary attention. More training needs to be given to help women acquire skills to fast track them into meaningful positions of leadership and management in order to promote diversity within the industry.
We acknowledge that transformation in journey worth traversing and commend those companies who continue to demonstrate commitment towards gender equality, with initiatives that allow and encourage women to progress throughout their careers in the industry.
Mine Health and Safety
Although there is improvement in this regard, the department will continue to place a particular emphasis on the important matter of the health and safety of mine workers which is so crucial to the sustainability of the mining sector. Hence, our steely resolve to implement enforcement measures in terms of the law in a bid to protect workers from health and safety hazards in their working environments. We will also continue to collaborate with our social partners to ensure that the goal of zero harm is achieved.
Also, I am deeply disturbed about the number of reported incidents of women experiencing sexual harassment and inhumane treatment by fellow workers in their underground workplaces. I would like to appeal to all the stakeholders, to ensure that there should be interventions implemented to prevent the intimidation of women miners.
Accordingly, the mining sector should continue to take appropriate measures to ensure that women have safe and dignified work places. The personal protective equipment available for use in the mines do not fit women workers as most PPE are designed based on the male body structure.
In this regard, we welcome the research conducted by the Mine Health and Safety Council and expect that the implementation of the recommendations should assist the sector to select appropriate and suitable PPE for women in mining.
In conclusion, my department is currently finalizing the review of the Mine Health and Safety Act to further address poor health and safety issues at mines, including PPE for women.
I call upon all women to emulate the celebrated and uncelebrated heroines of this country and the continent to demonstrate that women can take this industry to greater heights. It is prudent for Minster to emphasise that success does just come your way because you are a woman and beneficiary of transformation. it requires that the old adage of “Mosadi o tshwara thipa ka bohaleng” is applied fully, as it remains true today, as it did many years ago when the class of women of 1956 and earlier demonstrated. Go out there and make a difference in your own lives and that of the communities you live in.
Let us do it for ourselves Bafazi, and not sit around the corners waiting for opportunities to come our way.
Malibongwe!
I thank you.
