Communications Adviser
Ms Sibongiseni Dlamini |
+27 11 498-7345 |
sdlamini@bullion.org.za |
Deputy Communications Adviser
Mr Jabu Maphalala |
+27 11 498-7212 |
jmaphalala@bullion.org.za |
Secretary
Ms Meloney Ollier |
+27 11 498-7345 |
mollier@bullion.org.za |
Policy Analyst
Ms Maria da Silva |
+27 11 498-7200 |
mdasilva@bullion.org.za |
Publications Editor
Mrs Marilyn Farquharson |
+27 11 498-7272 |
mfarquha@bullion.org.za |
| As a representative body whose core function is advocacy, the Chamber continuously strives to execute this function more effectively in the best interest of our members. During the past year, the Chamber’s advocacy programme has had to take into account the reality of the Mining Charter and its attendant Scorecard. The industry fully supports the Charter and has put resources in place to ensure the achievement of its undertaking and to realise its success. The Mineral and Petroleum Royalty Bill is another key on-going issue for the Chamber. Equally important from an advocacy point of view is the Mining Titles Amendment Bill. |
The Chamber’s relationship with the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) is healthy and has resulted in several briefing and planning sessions focusing on issues of mutual concern. The Chamber’s parliamentary liaison programme is critical to the successful execution of its advocacy function. The Chamber will in committed to ensure that parliamentary liaison is consistent and includes all committees and parliamentarians who are involved in mining-related issues.
The Chamber’s advocacy function extends beyond lobbying government. Other stakeholders are as important if the mining industry is to face the country’s economic challenges as a united front. Interaction with the following bodies is critical:
- Black Business Forum
- Black Management Forum
- South African Chamber of Business
- Mining Qualifications Authority
- Various tripartite/sector partnership committees
- International Council on Mining Metals
- Mining Industry Associations of Southern Africa
- Southern African Development Community
- Committee for Education and Training of Business South Africa.
- Gauteng Pollution Forum
- Environment Justice Networking Forum
- Consultative Forum on Mining and the Environment
The Chamber also has a special relationship with Teba Development, which has assisted the mining industry with permit applications required under the new Immigration Act. This is elaborated upon in the Labour Policy section of this report. |
A key instrument of the Chamber’s advocacy work is communications. The Chamber’s strategy is to ensure that its messages about the transformation and challenges of the industry are communicated to all stakeholders. Its integrated strategy consists of the following:
- a visible media liaison programme
- a consistent parliamentary programme
- an effective government liaison programme
- effective communication tools for the Chamber
- an international liaison strategy.
Media partnership highlights
- An agreement has been reached with Business Day for the establishment of a mining focus feature on an on-going basis, provided there is industry support.
- There are regular contributions to the opinion pages of various publications such as Business Report, Sowetan, The Citizen and Sunday Times. The Chamber has embarked on a programme to encourage publications that do not have a resources reporter, to appoint one for regular contact with the industry.
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Mining News, the industry’s most widely distributed publication, continues to provide valuable contact and communication with mines and employees. The publication, in the format of a monthly newspaper containing accurate and relevant information of interest to the industry’s workforce, and written in easily read English, enables employees to be well-informed and responsible partners in promoting economic prosperity of the mining sector in South Africa.
The newspaper’s adult basic education and training (ABET) section is widely used in formal training sessions at ABET centres and has proved to be a valuable educational resource. Feedback from ABET facilitators on the mines has shown that Mining News is often the first point of contact with a newspaper for many ABET learners.
Mining News enjoys a high degree of credibility among all categories of employees, especially among its mainly black readership. It has a circulation of 33 000. Furthermore, each copy of the newspaper is read by an average of three people.
The various efforts by the industry to boost black empowerment through partnerships and the formation of sustainable small businesses, initiatives to contribute to rural development, both in South Africa and neighboring states were highlighted in the newspaper over the past year. Mining News also gave wide coverage to the MPRDA, the scorecard for the broad socio-economic empowerment charter for the South African mining industry as well as the different initiatives by mining groups to combat HIV/AIDS |
| Mining is a quarterly magazine that takes an in-depth look at mining issues. The publications strives to cover all major aspects and sectors of the mining industry in South and Southern Africa. Regular features include a wide-ranging consideration of the economic issues the industry faces today; skills development and environmental factors; the sometimes contentious issues of health and safety; the new legislative framework that is being created for mining. All issues are discussed in an unbiased manner with views from as many disparate people as possible. |
| MIASA |
The Chamber plays an important role in the Mining Industry Associations of Southern Africa (MIASA) for which it also provides a secretariat service. MIASA is an association of the chambers of mines in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. One of MIASA’s aims is to provide private sector input into the mining sector activities of the SADC to ensure a viable climate for mining into the future.
At the MIASA meetings a number of initiatives were discussed, i.e. to proceed with a regional annual review of mine health and safety performance, to launch a regional skills survey, and to building closer contact with the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Mining Partnership (AMP). Questions of how to take forward practically the outcomes of the Mining and Metals Sustainable Development (MMSD) Project, whether the association should be involved in the African Mining Network and how MIASA can help in the harmonisation of mining policies within the region are also discussed. Information exchange, such as on country developments regarding HIV/AIDS, is an important aspect dealt with. In August, MIASA again participated in the meetings of the SADC Technical Committee of Officials for Mining and the SADC Committee of Mining Ministers, which have now both been disbanded in line with the SADC restructuring process. |
