Mining In South Africa Research Articles

Does Board Gender Diversity Influence SDGs Disclosure? Insight from Top 15 JSE-Listed Mining Companies

An assessment was made halfway into the sustainable development goals (SDGs) agenda period, and the findings indicated a slower than anticipated pace towards the implementation of the SDGs agenda. One of the possible causes of the slower pace is a lack of strong governance mechanisms such as gender diversity, sustainability committees, and board sustainability experience in institutions. The study sought to investigate the influence of board gender diversity on SDGs disclosure amongst the top 15 JSE-listed mining companies in light of their contribution towards the attainment of this global agenda. Mining in South Africa affects about nine percent of the country’s population. The study was anchored on the agency and the stakeholder theories. This is quantitative research which employed a keyword search to measure SDGs disclosure in the annual integrated reports for the sampled companies from 2019 to 2023. The study hypothesised that there is a significant positive relationship between a female-dominated board and SDGs disclosure in the sampled companies. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, as well as regression analysis were employed. The results established a lack of significant evidence of a positive or negative relationship between gender diversity and SDGs disclosure, a significant positive relationship between board size and SDGs disclosure, and no relationship between board independence and SDGs disclosure in the sampled mining companies. It was concluded that board gender diversity in corporate boards in the top 15 JSE-listed mining companies has no impact on the SDGs disclosure. The study recommends including more moderating factors and conducting more empirical studies towards the attainment of conclusive results in this space.

A voluntary walk to the cemetery? Understanding the migration of Basotho men into the violent and illegal mining in South Africa

ABSTRACT This paper aims to demonstrate the dangers that Basotho men are exposed to in the illegal mining industry in South Africa, as well as to understand the factors responsible for their migration into this industry despite the apparent dangers. It shows that Basotho men have a long history of migrating to the South African mines in search for employment opportunities. The end of the twentieth century saw job opportunities for Basotho in South African mines diminish, mainly due to the closure of some mines. In desperation, Basotho men resorted to working illegally in the closed mines. This is not only illegal, but also risky and continues to see Basotho men lose their lives in large numbers as a result of mine accidents and gang-related conflicts. Despite loss of life at alarming rates, Basotho men are not deterred and continue to join this illegal and dangerous industry. Those already in the illegal mining industry have become so accustomed to their risky way of life that they are unlikely to abandon the industry and go back to Lesotho. There are various factors, economic and social, that explain this ‘irrational’ migration.

The status of extended reality technology in South Africa's mining industry

The economic upheaval of COVID-19 forced companies to invest in emerging technologies to aid recovery. One such technology is extended reality, which is becoming a mature and innovative tool. Early adopters are seeing significant benefits in learning, training, immersive data visualization, and remote assistance. In South Africa, the mining industry is increasingly interested in using extended reality to optimize and innovate operations. The Minerals Council of South Africa's July 2021 report highlighted the potential of extended reality's to achieve zero-harm production and modernize the industry. However, the extent of extended reality adoption in mining remains unclear due to limited information on its usage. This study addressed this gap by distributing an online survey to assess awareness, knowledge, and current uses of extended reality in South Africa's mining sector. The results indicated that virtual and augmented reality had the highest levels of awareness and usage, primarily for learning and training. Mixed reality, however, had the lowest awareness and knowledge levels. In terms of applications, visualization and remote assistance had the least use cases. These findings highlight that the South African mining industry is deficient in its understanding and use of extended reality technologies. Without better awareness and application, the South African industry risks missing out on the full benefits of extended reality. The study underlines the need for the South African mining industry to improve its outlook on extended reality technologies to fully leverage their potential applications and benefits.

A conceptual framework for reframing artisanal and small-scale mining: understanding characterization of artisanal and small-scale mining in South Africa

The categorization of artisanal and small-scale mining has a significant impact on perception and understanding of the sector, particularly from a livelihood perspective. Several developing countries classify different types of artisanal and small-scale mining based on legal status. Given the nature such activities, the tragedy of the commons theory has been applied to understand the inevitable environmental, economic, sociocultural, safety, and health negative externalities - which are products of informality and illegality. Consequently, formalization is a panacea to sustainability. This article aims to offer a conceptual organization and foundational knowledge for characterization of artisanal and small-scale mining. It seeks to identify existing literature on the subject to avoid replication and acknowledge other scholars. Moreover, the article aims to place the study within the context of existing literature, establishing relationships with other studies and why the research is necessary. This paper pinpoints gaps left from other studies in so far as the characterization of artisanal and small-scale mining is concerned. Thus, reviewing literature abetted in finding similarities and differences on how artisanal and small-scale mining is defined from a scholarly and legal basis. The paper ascertains major claims made by earlier research on this topic, such as environmental impacts, the lack of adequate regulatory framework, and presents querying and probing questions lacking from other studies.

Migrant labour in South Africa's mining economy: the struggle for the gold mine's labour supply, 1890-1920

Migrant labour in South Africa's mining economy: the struggle for the gold mine's labour supply, 1890-1920

The catastrophic failure of the Jagersfontein tailings dam: An industrial disaster 150 years in the making

This study provides a sociohistorical account of decisions made over a 150-year period about the Jagersfontein mine in South Africa's Free State and the catastrophic failure of its tailings dam that occurred in the early morning of September 11, 2022. The failure resulted in the sudden and uncontrolled release of more than 6 million m3 of liquid sludge, smothering nearly 200 nearby houses and approximately 1600 ha of agricultural and grazing land. Two people died, and one remains missing. Our account of this disaster shows the analytic force of examining the history of the mine's development, the issues decision-makers faced at various points in time, the choices made and the cumulative influence of these conditions on human vulnerability. We present a disaster timeline over four historical periods, linking sources and literature to each significant point in the timeline. It is one of the only available tailings dam failure timelines linked to the social context through historical analysis.

Leadership Coaching and Transformation in the South African Mining Sector

Leadership Coaching and Transformation in the South African Mining Sector

Testing the P/S Amplitude Seismic Source Discriminant at Local Distances Using Seismic Events Within and Surrounding the Kloof Gold Mine, South Africa, and the Kiruna Iron Ore Mine, Northern Sweden

ABSTRACT We investigate the utility of the P/S amplitude discriminant for small seismic events recorded at local distances on surface seismic networks using (1) mining-related events from within the Kloof gold mine in South Africa; and (2) mining-related events and earthquakes within and adjacent to the Kiruna iron ore mine in northern Sweden. For the Kloof mine, seventy-five source mechanisms characterized by moment tensor solutions obtained using high-frequency in-mine seismic data are used to evaluate three mine-related source types, isotropic (crush), compensated linear vector dipole (crush-slip), and double-couple (DC; pure slip). For the Kiruna mine region, 270 events are used to evaluate earthquake sources, chemical explosions, and mine-related seismic events (primarily isotropic). For the Kloof mine events, we find that average P/S amplitude ratios measured in the 2–6 Hz frequency band discriminate between isotropic and DC events, and if only pure-slip events with a DC component of >60% are considered, the effective frequency band can be extended from 2 to 8 Hz. For the Kiruna region events, P/S amplitude ratios effectively discriminate earthquakes from chemical explosions in the 4–6 Hz and 10–28 Hz frequency bands. Our findings further show that average P/S amplitude ratios for mine-related events and earthquakes separate at frequencies of 10 Hz and higher. A comparison of amplitude ratios for crush and pure-slip events located within a depth range of 1 km in the Kloof mine, and a comparison of amplitude ratios of shallow (<10 km depth) and deep-focus (>20 km depth) earthquakes in the Kiruna region, indicate that the P/S amplitude discriminant is not influenced significantly by source depth. These findings thus suggest that the P/S amplitude discriminant, originally developed for larger events recorded at regional and teleseismic distances, can be extended to smaller events recorded at local distances.

Employee engagement among women in technical positions in the South Africa mining industry

The aims of this study were to investigate the factors that influence women's engagement in technical positions in the South African mining sector and to determine what could be done to promote their successful participation. A convergent parallel mixed-methods research design was used to ascertain the factors that facilitate, inhibit, and influence engagement. In the quantitative phase of the study, questionnaires were circulated to women employeees; and in the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with employer representatives, most of whom were human resource personnel. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three-factor structure (vigour, dedication, and absorption) of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale fit the sample data reasonably well. Although there is room for improvement, respondents demonstrated acceptable levels of engagement in their work. On the other hand, the qualitative findings showed that employee engagement is impacted by unfavourable working conditions, work-life balance, and the mining industry's male-dominated work culture. The findings showed that employee engagement should be elevated to a core human resource function. To increase the participation of women in mining, human resource professionals are encouraged to collaborate with mine supervisors, managers, and employees to develop programmes that promote employees' absorption in and dedication to their work.

Research on pressure transmission and sealing performance of pyrophyllite in a cubic large chamber static high-pressure device

Owing to the need for a hydrostatic high-pressure cubic large cavity (hexahedral top) press used in high-pressure research and production of superhard material, two kinds of pyrophyllite powder compacts (A and B) from pyrophyllite mine in South Africa are prepared, and compared with the domestic yellow pyrophyllite powder compacts (Mentougou, Beijing) produced by the same process, to establish experimental methods and physical criteria for evaluating the pressure transmission and sealing performance of pyrophyllite. During the experiment, standard pressure materials such as Bi, Tl, and Ba are used to <i>in-situ</i> calibrate the pressure at the central positions and sealing edges of the pyrophyllite pressure chambers from the three aforementioned compacts under normal pressure conditions. Additionally, the silver melting point method is employed to obtain the corresponding relationship between chamber pressure at high temperature and system loading when using these three types of pyrophyllite as load-transmitting sealing materials. The results show that under the same hydraulic pressure loading, the difference in pressure at the central position between South African pyrophyllite B powder blocks and domestically produced pyrophyllite powder blocks does not exceed 0.1 GPa. Furthermore, in pressurization process and depressurization processe, the differences in pressure between the central position and the sealing edge of the pyrophyllite blocks are notably similar. Compared with South African pyrophyllite A powder blocks, pyrophyllite B powder blocks exhibit a closer resemblance to domestically produced pyrophyllite powder blocks in terms of high-temperature load transmission and sealing performance. Pyrophyllite B powder blocks from South Africa have the potential to serve as a substitute for domestically produced pyrophyllite without changing the existing superhard material synthesis process, making them promising candidates for use as load-transmitting media and sealing materials. These research findings hold significant academic importance in the realms of high-pressure research and superhard material production. They provide valuable insights into the selection of suitable transmission and sealing materials and the optimization of high-pressure experimental conditions. Additionally, this study presents robust method and criteria for experimental procedures and performance assessment.

Investigating the Prevalence of Gender Stereotypes in a South African Mine

The existence of gender stereotypes is a common phenomenon. Pressure on organisations to establish workforce diversity evolves constantly. However, diversity encourages stereotyping. Once organisations know the stereotypes, they will be able to manage these more effectively. The main aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of gender stereotypes in a mine in South Africa. Limited research has been undertaken to date on the existence of gender stereotypes in the South African mining industry. A sample of 39 employees from a South African mine was selected and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data were analysed by means of content analysis. Most of the employees who were interviewed understood the concept of gender stereotypes. The most prevalent stereotypes that were found were in-group stereotypes, out-group stereotypes and perceived in- and out-group stereotypes (meta stereotypes). The existence of gender stereotypes in a mine can be managed through establishing various interventions to assist employees to confront their own stereotypes and valuing employees for their contribution and not according to the gender group they belong to. This study adds to the literature and knowledge of gender stereotypes. Limited studies have been conducted on gender stereotypes in South African mines. The information obtained in this study provides insight into the stereotypes that should be managed in the South African mining industry.

Goals of Restoration Ecology and the Role of Grasses in the Processes as Seen in Southeastern Africa Restoration Projects

The goals of a “restoration” programme are often not clearly defined, which may radically influence the course of the change effected by the “restoration”. In this paper, I examine many restoration studies worldwide, the goals and the practice that was followed. Grasses often play an important role in both the succession and restoration processes. In Johannesburg, South Africa, wind-blown dust caused by gold mining was a problem in the early 20th century, so the goal was to stabilise the tailings. This was achieved by establishing vegetation on the dumps or revegetation of the land on which the tailings were deposited. Stabilisation of the Cape Flats was the goal in the late 19th century to allow easy movement along sandy roads in the region and marram grass was introduced from Europe specifically for this purpose. Revegetation with a different vegetation type is often a logical option where land use is of paramount importance. Replacement with crop plants or grasses is where the previous vegetation is replaced by an alternative land use that will be of benefit to the local people. The terms “rehabilitation” and “restoration” are often used interchangeably. Early researchers on the subject pointed out that rehabilitation is on the trajectory to full restoration or the original former state of the degraded site. In this review, the rehabilitation processes are discussed following dune mining in South Africa and at sites in Mozambique.

Considerations for occupational heat exposure: A scoping review

The ability to regulate core body temperature is a critical factor in avoiding occupational heart stress in demanding environments. Heat-related illness in an occupational setting is complex and multifactorial and includes environment (intrinsic and extrinsic), the occupational clothing requirements and physiological factors. Much of this research began in the gold mines in South Africa after several miners died due to heat related illness. Similar research was conducted during World War Two and was crucial for the creation of acclimatization techniques and strategies for acquiring thermal tolerance. Techniques such as fatigue recovery and body cooling are still used today to prevent heat related illness in individuals with occupations that have frequent exposure to heat and high physical loads. These individuals are at greater risk of heat related illness as extended exposure to a hot or humid environment in combination with strenuous physical activity can overwhelm the body’s homeostatic cooling mechanisms. In addition, individuals from special populations with chronic or acute health impacts such as diabetes mellitus, also have a greater risk for the aforementioned. Currently, there are several heat prevention strategies, including training and education, regulation and monitoring, in place to protect workers from heat related illness and casualty. These strategies, along with future considerations and the impact of climate change will be highlighted in this review.

ESG risks to global platinum supply: A case study of Mogalakwena Mine, South Africa

Global demand for metals is expected to continue to grow significantly to 2050, partly driven by the need for climate change mitigation measures that require energy transition metals including platinum group metals (PGMs). The environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks of mining these metals are seldom acknowledged in energy transition scenarios and pose a risk to future metal supply. Multiple ESG drivers at different scales create direct and indirect pressures and risks to a specific mine site and their interactions across scales create complex system dynamics. Although mining companies identify ESG factors as their biggest risks (and opportunities), interdisciplinary mining research is in its infancy and ESG factors are often oversimplified or overlooked. While global studies are important for providing an overview of the industry, and highlighting trends and patterns, they cannot communicate the complexity found at the local scale. This paper describes ESG risks, opportunities, and impacts across nine dimensions (water, energy, biodiversity, waste, air quality, community, social vulnerability, land use, and governance) for Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena PGM mine in South Africa. It provides insight into a developing country African context and an in-depth view of the complex ESG risks around PGM mining in South Africa. Given South Africa hosts 91% of global PGM resources, understanding and addressing these ESG risks is critical for ensuring long-term PGM supply and enabling a just energy transition.

IFN-γ independent markers of Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure among male South African gold miners.

The prevalence of tuberculosis among men who work in the gold mines of South Africa is among the highest in the world, but a fraction of miners demonstrate consistently negative results upon tuberculin skin test (TST) and IFN-γ release assay (IGRA). We hypothesized that these "resisters" (RSTRs) may display unconventional immune signatures of exposure to M.tuberculosis (M.tb). In a cohort of RSTRs and matched controls with latent TB infection (LTBI), we profiled the functional breadth of M.tb antigen-specific T cell and antibody responses using multi-parameter flow cytometry and systems serology, respectively. RSTRs and LTBI controls both exhibited IFN-γ independent T-cell and IgG antibody responses to M.tb-specific antigens ESAT-6 and CFP-10. Antigen-specific antibody Fc galactosylation and sialylation were higher among RSTRs. In a combined T-cell and antibody analysis, M.tb lysate-stimulated TNF secretion by T cells correlated positively with levels of purified protein derivative-specific IgG. A multivariate model of the combined data was able to differentiate RSTR and LTBI subjects. IFN-γ independent immune signatures of exposure to M.tb, which are not detected by approved clinical diagnostics, are readily detectable in an occupational cohort uniquely characterized by intense and long-term infection pressure. Further, TNF may mediate a coordinated response between M.tb-specific T-cells and B-cells. This work was supported by the US National Institutes of Health (R01-AI124348 to Boom, Stein, and Hawn; R01-AI125189 and R01-AI146072 to Seshadri; and 75N93019C00071 to Fortune, Alter, Seshadri, and Boom), the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (Davies), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1151836 and OPP1109001 to Hawn; and OPP1151840 to Alter), Mass Life Science Foundation (Fortune), and Good Ventures Fund (Fortune).

Artisanal mining and its drivers in the South African context

In South Africa, Zama Zama mining is a colloquial term referring to artisanal mining. This type of mining is illegal, seeing that these mining activities are conducted without a mining license. Zama Zama mining is often associated with several social ills, for example, issues related to the miners’ health and safety, environmental deprivation, child labour and the occurrence of violence and conflict within the sector. South African mining companies and law enforcement officials tend to view the solution to these problems to lie in policing this sector but are achieving little success. This article suggests an alternative, more proactive approach by exploring the drivers of artisanal gold mining in South Africa and ascertaining the responsibilities of mining companies in mitigating the drivers. A re-examination of Zama Zama mining's marginalisation could replace the current reactive ways pursued through policing and criminalising the sector with more sustainable and proactive approaches to address the sector's problems.

‘Zama Zama’ and leftovers: The recycling of ore in abandoned gold mines in South Africa

Despite increased restrictions and security measures imposed on abandoned gold mines by the South African government amidst recent deaths and the ongoing debate about the place of ‘illegal mining’, unlicensed miners, known as ‘zama zamas’ continue to insert themselves into the economy by engaging in practices of scavenging, recycling and reworking of leftover gold ore. Increasingly, abandoned gold mines exemplify the physical ruins that articulate the collapse of the regional mining industry despite the resurgence of the extractive industries in other African countries. While a growing body of literature deals with such miners, their working practices have not been approached from the perspective of recycling/reworking: a practice that is growing and which reveals aspects of the contemporary form that capitalism is taking. In South Africa recycling or reworking of gold bearing ore in abandoned commercial mines is a growing practice. The extraction of residual gold ore from the ruins of capital-intensive enterprises is carried out informally and, according to the state, illegally. This paper explores how, in response to the retrenchment of mine workers from South African mines and the ensuing high unemployment in the country and sub region, ordinary people have inserted themselves into the economy to rework the gold ore that has been left by large scale gold mining companies. It documents how ‘illegal’ miners extract and rework gold bearing ore in the ruins of commercial mines and how recycling becomes an integral part of their livelihood and trade. Finally, the paper draws on extant literature and the author's ethnographic observations of artisanal and small-scale miners, known as zama zamas, and uses innovation as a lens.

A Unified Approach for the Analysis of CPT Partial Drainage Effects within a Critical State Soil Mechanics Framework in Mine Tailings

Results from both laboratory and in-situ cone penetration tests (CPTs) on predominantly sandy silt platinum tailings from an operational mine in South Africa are reported. The CPTs were conducted with four different cone diameters at varied penetration rates. With the results interpreted in terms of the normalized tip resistance and the initial state parameter, in addition to dissipation tests, it was possible to identify the CPTs affected by significant partial drainage effects. A review of the partial drainage concept enabled the formulation of a novel characteristic surface approach, which uses a unified continuous equation to estimate the state parameter from the CPT data from drained to partially drained and undrained regimes and from contractive to dilative states. A review of different methods for the estimation of the coefficient of consolidation, and hence the normalized penetration velocity, enables a comparison of the estimated state parameter with independent values calculated from recovered saturated samples, showing the ability of this technique to infer the state parameter from CPT tests where partial drainage occurs.

Black peoples’ control of South Africa's mining industry in the post-apartheid South Africa

The Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Charter (Mining Charter 1) of 2002 called for Black people – referred to as Historically Disadvantaged South African (HDSAs) – to own 26 percent of the value of equity and mine assets and achieve 40 percent (including 10 percent for women) representation on the higher-level management to control decision making in mining companies. This article seeks to contribute to the debate on HDSAs’ control of mining companies by looking at representation in higher-level management. The findings indicate that HDSAs were well represented in companies that they have majority shareholding despite control being lost due to indebtedness. There was no HDSAs representation in many foreign and white owned companies. Sellers of mining assets use separate companies to house HDSAs, low voting shares and set conditions in concluding BEE deals. Long job tenures, long time in climbing the ladder to higher-level management positions and preference for small sized boards are among factors that limit HDSAs’ control. This article argues that HDSAs’ control depends on the increase in equity and mine assets acquisitions. It recommends that policy makers concentrate on helping HIDSAs acquire more equity and mine assets in order to gain more representation.

Legalism in the Marikana Commission of Inquiry Report: Veiling “Sociological Causes” of the Massacre

ABSTRACT This article examines the Farlam Commission of Inquiry’s official discourse on violence within the context of the Marikana mine massacre. The commission was established in 2012 to investigate the killing of 34 mine workers during a wage strike at the Lonmin platinum mine in South Africa. The commission was tasked with scrutinising the actions of the police, mine management and labour unions involved in the incident. By employing the concept of legalism, this paper analyses the commission’s report and argues that it adopted a legalist perspective on violence, which served to legitimise the prevailing legal framework for collective bargaining while delegitimising the strike action itself. The study highlights Phase Two of the commission’s investigation, which was aimed at examining the underlying sociological causes of the conflict within the mining sector. This phase provided an opportunity to delve into the structural factors that fuelled the dispute. However, despite the potential for a more nuanced exploration of structural violence, the final report of the Farlam Commission ultimately embraced a narrative form and simulacrum of legality that reflected implicit moral and political biases concerning specific forms of violence and social action. The commission struggled to assimilate critiques of the collective bargaining framework into its report, instead maintaining a fidelity to legalism, with practical implications for the type of “truth” and “justice” the commission could promote. The paper contributes to a broader understanding of the complex dynamics between legal frameworks, violence and social justice in contexts of labour disputes and collective action.