Date

Discussion Topic

Presenter: Alexey Cherkaev

Machine learning (ML) is one of those buzzwords that one hears every day. It has already revolutionized advertising industry (for better or for worse) and it promises to do the same for transport, legal, education, finance…

However, one does not hear much about extractive industry.

Will ML disrupt it too?

Recording: https://youtu.be/XOLRw9ENESQ

The following session will signal the launch of the book entitled, ‘BRICS and Economic Development: A Multidisciplinary Perspective’. BRICS shall die, metamorphose and thrive. It’s a way of rethinking the socio-economic fabric before, amid and beyond the COVID-19 crisis. BRICS as a partnership was not static from its inception by Jim O’Neil to date. Starting as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) the partnership incorporated South Africa in 2010 to form the BRICS.

As the partnership it was mainly a political initiative that had little if any economic developmental project but it didn’t take long before the organisation metamorphosed into a relatively robust and ambitious economic challenger of the current world order, symbolised by the “competition” with the Breton wood institutions inter alia the World Bank and the International Monetary Funds (IMF). Just like a grain planted into the soil that needs to die and come out as a crop before growing to become a plant or a tree, BRICS must face it.

The study predicts the death of BRICS and explains that it will either evolve into BRICS Plus or a totally different but more effective global organisation overpowering once for all the Breton wood institutions and ultimately changing the world order – could the COVID-19 crisis accelerate that process? Could the current health pandemic and global economic crisis that goes with it trigger the metamorphosis of the BRICS as we know it today?

What if that becomes one of the effects of the much-anticipated new world order? Let’s wait and see. Using a variety of research conducted separately, this e-book discusses matters of economic substance from African perspective. it identifies the negative scores of the BRICS as a partnership as it is confronted with death and seeks to understand its rebirth, restructuring or re-engineering in the aftermath.

The study further assesses the strengths of BRICS and advices how to capitalise on these for a steady economic growth going forward. It looks at economic issues affecting the BRICS or its member countries with focus on South Africa

Dr Byelongo Elisee Isheloke is a business economist, turn-around strategist and independent research consultant.  He currently works as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Cape Town since the 01 July 2018. He graduated with a PhD in Management Sciences, specialising in Business Administration at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) where he also worked as  a lecturer. He obtained his Master’s in Business Administration in 2013 and his Bachelor (Honours) in Management in 2008. 

He completed his undergrad qualifications in Business Management with Merit. In that grade he achieved 5 distinctions. Byelongo currently co/supervises Master’s and honours students. His research interests include Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR), Mineral beneficiation policy interventions, BRICS’s partnership, extractive companies’ management, Waste management, and pedagogy. He has published both nationally and internationally. His learning curiosity took him to several countries in Africa and abroad. Among his achievements, Byelongo completed a diploma in Education with the highest mark in 1996 State Examinations in the DRC. As a motivational speaker, he preaches to the local and international communities.

Byelongo was once employed as an Operations Co-supervisor and Health & Safety Officer at the then Eurotrade Metals Africa for three years. He has delivered important (keynote) speeches at political gathering of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS in French acronym) and on Africa Day celebrations organised by the DUT. He also participated in international summits such as the World Conference Against Racism and the World Conference for Sustainable Development.

With over 14 years of experience as an educator, he worked as a web journalist for the MiningIR during the 2019 Mining Indaba the outcome of which gave birth to +- 10 eNews articles. He  has two books under his name and a variety of other publications.

Prof Shamila Singh’s research, teaching, coaching, and consulting services reflect her interest in human resources, leadership, governance, inclusivity, and sustainability. Shamila has a doctorate in business leadership from School for Business Leadership (Unisa), Master in Business Leadership (Unisa), a Honours Degree in Industrial Psychology, Development Programme in Labour Relations and a Qualification in Coaching.

Shamila is involved in academic and research work for Unisa, Mancosa, Open University, Unisa School of Business Leadership, Mancosa, Regent Business School, Durban University of Technology, University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Institute of Marketing Management.  Her research has been published and presented at conferences nationally and internationally. She is also a business and executive coach, mediator, Masters HR Practioner and HR Lead Auditor.

In her previous role at SABPP she was the Head of the Audit Division and now is Head of HR Standards Division.  As a Master HR Practitioner she focuses on HR strategy, research, HR Quality, and capacity development.  She is the managing director of Unique Consulting Services that specialises in leadership development, OD, HR specialist advisory services and coaching.

Shamila is a board member of the South African Nursing Council, NISSA Institute for Women Development and Southern African Society for Quality (SASQ). Shamila was also a member of the advisory committee of HR at Unisa and University of Johannesburg.

Shamila’s corporate career started in retail sector in several HR related positions and then she held a senior management position in the not-for-profit sector.  She is accredited by numerous professional bodies, namely, SA Board for People Practices, Health Professional Council of SA, Board Health Funders, Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (UK) and as an assessor\moderator with a number of SETAs.

Gustave Mungeni Kankisingi is a lecturer and Management consultant. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate level modules on Management Practices, Operations and Project Management, Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship in the Department of Entrepreneurial Studies and Management at the Durban University of Technology, South Africa.

As a consultant, he renders services to several small and medium enterprises, and he provides corporate training to several corporate as per demand. His PhD thesis focused on “Entrepreneurial Orientation, Organisational Orientation and Innovation Performance of Manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises”.

His most recently research projects include: “Differences in Innovation Performance between Family and Non-Family owned SMEs”, “Rewarding Innovation Performance and Strategic Readiness of SMEs in South Africa” and “The relationship between Individual Knowledge Transfer and Behaviour Patterns in the capacity building of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)”.

Tiema Muindi holds a BTech Journalism degree (cum laude) and a Masters of Journalism degree (cum laude) which are supported with an elaborate industry experience having worked as a weekly columnist for daily newspapers i.e.  THE WITNESS, THE NEWAGE and as Chief Editor for Politics Update magazine. All these are South Africa’s publications. He is currently lecturing journalism and media studies.

The year 2016 saw the publication of his poetry anthology book titled Under the same sky. In the year 2018 he presented a research paper during the annual Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation Conference organised by Durban University of Technology.

This resulted in the publication of his research paper, the impact of television soap operas on Zulu traditional marriages, in Interdisciplinary Journal of Economics and Business Law (IJEBL) and also a book by the same title His research areas of interest include the relationship between media and indigenous languages, media and cultural studies, media and politics, politics of ethnicity.  He is currently a PhD candidate.

Recording: https://youtu.be/I9apTxeHXfw

Presenter: Nicole Uys

To meet society’s ever-increasing demand for metals and address the numerous technical, economic, and environmental challenges within the current mining context, a holistic approach to process design, which is grounded in mineralogy, is needed.

This would ensure that the impact of varying process mineralogy (and associated chemistry) on technical considerations and the associated economic implications and environmental consequences are considered upfront. The focus is on the commodity zinc due to its strategic value coupled with limited resource availability and the wide variety of substantially different process technologies in existence.

The presentation will discuss the historical decision-making within the zinc industry and the development of a tool, which is aimed at maximising the value proposition of zinc sulphide process flowsheet options.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqBabo-jp1I&ab_channel=MineralstoMetals

Presenter: Louie Van Schulkwyk

The legislative and executive powers dealing with mining and land use respectively are allocated to different spheres of government. Mining rights are issued by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), as representative of the national government. In contrast, land use and zoning are regulated by municipalities, representing the local sphere of government.

According to a 2012 ruling by the Constitutional Court of South Africa, a mining right holder cannot commence mining activities, despite holding the mining right, unless and until the land is appropriately zoned by the municipality in whose jurisdiction the land is located.
The separate functions of the two spheres of government make duplication in application processes inevitable. The potential for conflicting decisions is also apparent.  

The presentation will provide an overview of Dr Louie van Schalkwyk’s thesis, which shows how poor intergovernmental relations and processes hamper effective co-operation and collaboration between the DMRE and municipalities.

While it is imperative that each government institution retains legislative and executive authority over their respective constitutional powers – DMRE over mining activities, and municipalities over land use issues – the thesis argues that greater efforts at process alignment or synchronisation are necessary.

It offers suggestions for improvement.

Recording: https://youtu.be/cnwwAa-NuHM

Presenter: Kennedy Chege

This presentation cuts across Mining law (oil and gas) and Competition/ Antitrust law. Competition laws restrict anticompetitive practices in a market, including cartel behaviour such as, fixing prices and determining the supply of commodities.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is widely regarded by competition law scholars and enforcers, to be a cartel, as it is infamous for regulating the global prices of oil and controlling output, actions that constitute cartel behaviour in terms of competition law.

The presentation, based on my PhD research, discusses the different practices that constitute cartel behaviour and their adverse effects, with a focus on OPEC. Additionally, it investigates OPEC’s influence in the global petroleum industry, and the challenges in regulating the organization’s anticompetitive behaviour.

This research reveals a need to develop competition laws to introduce mechanisms to regulate anticompetitive practices, particularly cartel behaviour in the petroleum industry. The focus of this presentation is limited to only the anticompetitive practices of OPEC, specifically price fixing and imposing output quotas.

Recording: https://youtu.be/QAhng13-Mhw

Presenter: Anri Heyns

The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (“MPRDA”) and the Mining Charter, aim to address the exploitative legacies of past discriminatory practices in the mining industry. Impoverished mining communities stand to benefit from empowerment under the Mining Charter in the form of mine community development. Despite this legislative intervention, poverty and conflict have become the stereotypical images associated with mining areas.

This presentation, based on my PhD project, aims to determine why the empowerment of mining communities through mine community development perpetuates poverty from the past and creates new inequalities.

The thesis is a theoretical exposition of the ideological assumptions underlying the concepts “development”, “empowerment”, “community” and “poverty”. I refer to these ideological assumptions as the politics of development. It is shown that “mine community development” is an inherently contradictory notion in South African law resulting not only in a perpetuation of poverty and inequality from the past but also in the creation of new inequalities. The differentiation drawn by the Mining Charter between different types of communities in mining areas serve as evidence of the new equalities created.

Recording: https://youtu.be/ZalsQgrmUpw

Presenter: Guillaume Blanc

There is increased fragmentation of the legal framework available for mining investments in most African countries due to the lack of integration of the different African legal systems, growing conflicts of laws at national and international levels, conflicts between legislation and constitution, conflicts between contractual and contractual rules, conflicts between mineral or project agreements, their respective governing laws and dispute resolution clauses. 

The proposed presentation will explain why there is such a high-level dispersion and conflict between the various legal instruments available to regulate or contractually organise exploration and mining, and the impact in terms of contractual rights and ownership rights of mining companies. 

Recording: https://youtu.be/LDEbxnXTU1c

Presenter: Jochen Petersen

The conventional route for metal extraction from as-mined ore involves various concentration and beneficiation routes that produce mineral concentrates as input for extractive processes locally or overseas. As a result, >98% of the mined material stays behind as ‘waste’ in the form of waste rock tailings and process residues mostly stored above-ground storage facilities. The long-term impact of mine waste storage in the form of dust, run-off and leachate present a key challenge globally with much work focused on remediation measures.
 
There is an increasing interest in recent times to re-mine such deposits for the purpose of extracting additional value in terms of either the original target metal or other value fractions that were not of economic interest at the time of the original process. Reprocessing offers an opportunity not only for value extraction but also to produce and ultimately store a ‘better’ waste material in terms of long-term impact. 

However, for such reprocessing to be economically viable, various low-cost technologies need to be considered, such as heap and in-situ leaching, with the help of non-toxic and/or biological agents, which are discussed here. An added advantage is that such technologies can be and sometimes already are operated by artisanal miners drawn from local communities.

Recording: https://youtu.be/l2seX7O1bxk

Presenter: Dr. Bernard Kengni

The following forum examines whether the concept of good (environmental) governance provides a useful tool and legal base for the achievement of water sustainability in South Africa’s mining sector. Dr. Bernard Kengni introduces water pollution as one sustainability challenge that South Africa is facing in its mining sector. The main question is how the legal framework should promote and guide water sustainability through good environmental governance?

The concept of governance is presented as a tool with which individuals or organisations can achieve effective water sustainability, through decision-making, planning and law enforcement.

Recording: https://youtu.be/TWjvoeralwQ

Presenter: Jacques Jacobs

The following session will explore the nature of land security for some of the most vulnerable and historically dispossessed communities in South Africa. How can communities best secure private landownership and how can these vehicles be used to further the ideals of land reform and address historical injustices. We are joined by Jacques Jacobs, a doctoral candidate nearing the completion of his thesis entitled, ‘Communal Tenure security in South Africa: How to Meet the Constitutional Demands for Democratic Authority and Legitimacy’ will explore issues around landownership in mining communities and how best to protect and develop communal land to benefit the communities it supports.

Recording: https://youtu.be/t6H0C62Mmck

Presenter: Ntsiki Adonisi-Kgame

This session will investigate transformation in the South African mining sector with a focus on the past, present and potential future shifts in the regulatory approach that seeks to address historical injustices. What are the past and the current approaches to transformation within the mining sector and what do we hope to see in the future? Ntsiki Adonisi-Kgame will provide an overview of the MPRDA, The Mining Charter and other legal tools used to address historical injustice in the mining sector and as the question, is this progress or politics as usual?

Recording: https://youtu.be/7h2s-uLsmCI

Presenters: Vama Jele And Manson Gwanyanya

In discussion with Mr Manson Gwanyanya and Mr Vama Jele we explore the extractive industry in Africa through the lens of human rights activism and real-life experiences. Several economies in Africa are sustained by the extractive industry with the majority of these countries’ national budgets dependent on mining, oil and gas exports. The survival of these economies depend on how the extractive industry is regulated, and this has become especially evident during the fight against the pandemic. 

The discussion will consider the existing issues faced by mineworkers and how the existing patterns of profit over people are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Africa represents a key site for the incorporation of human rights norms and logics into the process of responding to the pandemic. Historically, African governments and the extractive industries have placed a greater price on the exploration of mineral resources than on respect for human rights. Now is the time for governments and mining companies to implement more effective checks and balances to respect human rights.

Recording: https://youtu.be/L4G2iNP299k

Presenters: Carla Hudson & Jennifer Broadhurst

The webinar will provide an overview of the Mine Water Coordinating Body how various projects within the MWCB facilitate regional sustainable mine closure. Effective regional management is important in addressing the long-term impacts of mine affected water, including acid rock drainage, acid mine drainage and saline drainage.

The Mine Water Coordinating Body (MWCB) has been established as a public-private platform for the mining industry, government and civil society to work together in identifying and implementing management options for water and closure for the Upper Olifants Basin in the Mpumalanga Coalfields in South Africa.

This webinar will also provide an outline of the inter-disciplinary Resilient Futures Community of Practice project at The University of Cape Town, which explores the opportunity for driving post-mining industrial development through fibrous multi-product value chains.

Following completion of Phase I in 2019, this project has subsequently received a further two-year funding grant from the National Research Foundation and has formed the basis for a “living laboratory” pilot study in the Witwatersrand Goldfields, which is being conducted in collaboration with AngloGold Ashanti.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRZoCRSxQc8&ab_channel=MineralstoMetals

The webinar will provide:
Overview of the women in mining - why a specific look at women in mining- including key themes in gender and mining
Discussion - The evidence that is required to track progress in gender equality in mining and how this evidence is being used to influence policy, inclusive participation and empowerment of women. 
Panellists will also discuss what evidence currently exists; tools that are being used to collect data;  what the data gaps are and the challenges of obtaining these data.
Responses to the question - has there been progress in gender and mining?

Panelists

Esther Harris

Esther Has BSc and MSc (Geoscience) degrees from Monash University and 20 years’ experience in the mineral exploration industry and in geoscience research. She spent a decade supporting Australian companies operating in North and West Africa as an exploration consultant, working closely with geological surveys and mining ministries. During this phase of her career, she acquired an interest in how or whether mining contributes to development, particularly in the areas of geoscience knowledge infrastructure and gender in mining. She is currently researching a PhD at Murdoch University in collaboration with the Women in Mining Association of West Africa.

Doris Buss

A professor of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada with over twenty years experience researching in the areas of international law and human rights, women’s rights, sexual and gender based violence, and transitional justice.  Her current research examines gender and resource governance in sub-Saharan Africa with a specific focus on women’s artisanal and small-scale gold mining livelihoods in Kenya, Sierra Leone and Mozambique. 

Blair Rutherford

 A professor of Anthropology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. He has carried out ethnographic research on the cultural politics of rural livelihoods for over 25 years in sub-Saharan Africa. For the last 6 years he has worked with Canadian and African researchers on research projects examining the gender dynamics of artisanal and small-scale gold mining, through which he has carried out research in Sierra Leone and Mozambique.

Vanessa Baudin Sanchez

Development Gateway's Regional Manager for West Africa, and oversees DG’s West Africa operations from our hub in Dakar. She has 19 years of experience managing IT projects for partners, and providing advisory services on technical and institutional aspects for a sustainable implementation of DG solutions at country level. Ms. Sanchez has been integral in building DG’s focus on the extractives industries:  she has conducted country feasibility assessments, implemented extractives data collection and analysis systems in Nigeria, and led development of a pilot index for measuring women’s involvement in the EI sector in Guinea. Ms. Sanchez holds a Master's of Science in Telecommunications and Computers, as well as a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering with a Minor in Engineering Management.

Hope Kyarisiima

A development management specialist passionate about how the extractives sector facilitates and impacts development outcomes for resource-rich nations. Hope is keen on harnessing equitable, fair and meaningful benefit from natural resources for host communities. She is passionate about strengthening the capacities of miners especially women to safely and fairly undertake mining activity through training, mentorship and linkage to various technical support providers. Hope is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science and currently Coordinates the ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme in Uganda.

Fundiswa Ndaba

Holds a BCom and BCom Honours degree from the University of Cape Town and a MBA from the University of Leipzig, Germany. She has worked in the Transformation sector since 2008 and currently looks after Transformation at the Minerals Council South Africa. She was part of the industry delegation that negotiated the Mining Charter 2018 and continues to engage government, labour unions, NGOs and CBOs on all Transformation related matters. Her passion is Change Management and Policy Development.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c0Svo6Vg-M&ab_channel=MineralstoMetals

Presenters: Richard Cramer, ernard Kengni & Dalit

The following webinar will explore the complex nature of ‘waste’ in the mining context – whether it be tailings or abandoned mine land. Value is a relative concept, the panelists in taking a socio-legal perspective on property and the governance of waste in the mining sector.

Richard Cramer is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Mineral Law in Africa Chair and will consider waste in the context of the law of property, with a focus on how the law regulates the way one may terminate ownership in property.

Bernard Kengni will focus on the importance of good governance in the management of mine wastes to promote the remediation of land and water post-mining.

Dalit will consider financial provision regulations and opportunities for sustainable finance initiatives in rehabilitation strategies. She will also consider what sustainability might look like in practice for community empowerment post-mining and some of the challenges faced in the sector.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnxko7cvQmA&ab_channel=MineralstoMetals

This Forum explores the issue of transparency or lack of in promoting or hindering the sustainable development of mineral resources in Africa.

Transparency in the mining sector is associated with the need to address general good governance when dealing with financial transactions as well as in the relationship between the environment and the local population. Thus transparency is an important element in developing strategies and policies for sustainable economic development.

In this session, our panellists will lead us in exploring the nexus between transparency in relation to the various spheres they work in, in the mining sector, in relation to the sustainable development of mineral resources in Africa.

Briggs Bomba

The Programs Director for Trust Africa, a panAfrican foundation that works across Africa to promote democratic governance and equitable development.

He coordinates Trust Africa’s pan African initiative to combat illicit financial flows from Africa – a partnership with Ford Foundation, under which he oversees a portfolio that includes grantmaking, convenings, research and capacity building initiatives to support civil society partners across the continent.

Briggs holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Applied and Social Economics from Wright State University (Ohio, USA).

His analysis and commentary have appeared on CNN, BBC, World Focus, AllAfrica, Alliance Magazine, Foreign Policy in Focus, Pambazuka News, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Al-Jazeera among other platforms.

Veronica Zano

A Governance, Research & Policy Officer at the Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW).

SARW works for participatory, transparent and accountable utilisation of extractive resources in a manner that optimises transformative social and economic benefits and inter-generational equity, with sensitivity to environmental and human rights impacts.

Prior to joining SARW, Veronica worked as a legal officer for Pact and the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) providing Technical legal expertise in natural resource governance, extractives, human rights and environmental law. She holds a Master’s Degree in Constitutional Law from the Midlands State University and a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Zimbabwe. 

Hebert M’cleod

Country Director of the International Growth Centre for Sierra Leone and Liberia.

A member of the CONNEX Advisory Committee and the Country Director of the International Growth Centre (IGC) for Sierra Leone and Liberia. Prior to his current position, he was an Advisor in the office of the President of Sierra Leone and the Leader of the country's negotiations team for minerals agreements.

His professional career includes senior-level positions in the United Nations Development Programme such Director of Policy Operations and UN Resident Coordinator in the DRC, Cameroon and Eritrea. He was also a member of the World Economic Forum' Global Advisory Council (GAC) on Fragile States as well as on the Mining and Minerals.

He has provided advisory services to a number of African Countries on mining policy, minerals negotiations and the African Mining Vision as well as on policy issues related to development and economic growth.

Recording: https://youtu.be/uNrKihsq0Bk

Sage Govender

Sage, an Earth Sciences Honours graduate from Stellenbosch University, is now in her first year of master’s working under Assoc. prof. Megan Becker, Assoc. prof. Jennifer Broadhurst and Dr. Thanos Kotsiopoulos in the research theme: Value from Waste.

The excessive production and storage of mine waste are costly as well as detrimental to the environment and surrounding communities. It however also presents the opportunity to be reused and repurposed, thereby reducing waste volumes and stimulating the potential of downstream industries. This research focuses on repurposing solid mine waste from the mineral sands sector. The repurposing opportunities are investigated holistically using a specific South African case study.

Andries Motau

Andries is QES scholar with York University and he is currently doing his PhD at UCT with the MtM and ACDI group.He is doing an interdisciplinary study looking at the complexities of achieving a just transition.

Andries aims to provide an understanding of the socio-technical tensions present when transitioning away from a coal-intensive industry towards a resilient post-mining community. This will be achieved by using a multi-method approach to investigate and analyse the different perspectives, discourses, tensions, and synergies in realising a just transition in the Mpumalanga region of South Africa.

Laylaa Ebrahim

Laylaa completed her undergrad in Chemical Engineering at UCT. Currently, she is pursuing a Master’s Degree at UCT with Associate Prof. Jennifer Broadhurst as Supervisor and Dr. Johanna von Holdt as Co-Supervisor. She is assessing the distribution, composition and potential human health implications of particulate atter in the Saldanha Bay Municipality.

Approximately seven million people die due to air pollution globally. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported that 90% of people breathe in highly polluted air and approximately 91% of the world’s population live in areas where air quality is extremely poor.

The Saldanha Bay municipality consists of many different types of industries. Majority of these industries deal with the transportation of different types of metal ores through the municipality, either for export or to be used as raw materials. The result of these activities has driven communities to question the quality of air in the municipality, largely resulting from the discolouration of houses from the red iron ore dust. The focus of this study is to determine the particulate matter (PM) concentration and composition in the Saldanha Bay Municipality and to assess the potential health-related implications that arise from the exposure of metal-bearing PM

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTBUpd6IBBo&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=17&ab_channel=MineralstoMetals

Presenters: Dr. Tracey-Lynn Field

In March 2019 the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted a resolution on Mineral Resource Governance. The resolution recognized the link between sustainable management of minerals and metals resources and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and underlined the need for sharing knowledge and experiences (on regulatory approaches, implementation practices, technologies and strategies). A consultation process to gather knowledge and experience on “sustainable management” of minerals and metals is currently unfolding under the auspices of the UNEP through a series of regional and global consultations. The UNEA resolution is, in turn, based on a number of reports, including the International Resource Panel’s Mineral Resource Governance in the 21st century. This report makes interesting proposals around a Sustainable Development Licence to Operate, sustainable development principles for mining, transnational and international mineral governance reform, and the focus of proposed national policy and legal reforms.

This webinar unpacks the UNEA-4 Mineral Resource Governance resolution, the consultation process, and the main take-homes of the IRP’s report. Taking note of the mining governance paradigms identified in Field’s State Governance of Mining, Development and Sustainability (Edward Elgar, 2019), the webinar seeks to ask: Are we witnessing a new paradigm in national and global minerals governance? Or is this same old, same old?

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UckugfOxHVU&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=16&ab_channel=MineralstoMetals

Presenters: Mr Tladi Marumo, Mr Vama Jele, & Dr Barry Kistnasamy

Part Two takes the context established in Part One to consider the efforts of putting class actions into practice. Has there been an effective distribution of wealth post-class action? How could we avoid history repeating itself in the current COVID-19 crisis? Join us for both parts for a better understanding of mineworkers health through the social and legal lens.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhcfDsPGzS4

Presenters: Mr Tladi Marumo, Mr Vama Jele, & Dr Barry Kistnasamy

This two-part discussion will look at the social and legal history of the mining industry in Southern Africa and how these historical challenges carry a ripple effect through to the current regulatory system. Vama Jele brings the story of a mineworker into context, considering the impact of the recruitment process of migrant mineworkers, the conditions and the systemic dispensation mineworkers had(have) to live and work in. 

Accompanying Mr Jele is Dr Barry Kistnasamy who will provide the governance standpoint given the legislative measures in place to manage impacts on mineworkers, shining a light on what the Department of Health is doing in South Africa and in the larger Southern African region.

Our third panellist Mr Tladi Marumo will consider AMCU v. Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, which recently confirmed Covid-19 as an occupational health disease in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act

The court emphasized the heightened risk posed to mineworkers and mining communities due to the prevalence of other occupational lung diseases. This is particularly relevant in light of the recent seminal Nkala v. Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited class action. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy consequently issued the Guidelines for the Mandatory Code of Practice on the Mitigation and Management of Covid-19 Outbreak. The discussion will consider the domestic and comparative approaches and legal implications of Covid-19 in the mining industry.

Mr Tladi Marumo

Tladi Marumo is a Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD) Candidate at the University of Notre Dame. Tladi practiced at corporate law firms: Webber Wentzel (in alliance with Linklaters), Hogan Lovells, and Norton Rose Fulbright, and as Legal Consultant to Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. He taught as an Andrew W. Mellon Lecturer at Rhodes University Faculty of Law. He is a Director of the Good Law Foundation, South Africa.

Mr Vama Jele

Executive Secretary of the Swaziland Migrant Mineworkers Association (SWAMMIWA) and Treasurer of the Southern African Miners Association

Dr Barry Kistnasamy

Barry Kistnasamy is a medical doctor with additional training in public health, occupational and environmental health. He is the Commissioner of the Compensation Commission for Occupation Diseases (CCOD).

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB3eDYam-iA

Presenters: Dr Byelongo Elisee Isheloke and Prof Harro von Blottnitz

In this session we will discuss why the resource-rich countries often have lower development achievements compared to countries not endowed with important geo-resources. We will unpack the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and explain why many theorists see it as a resource curse.

We will also look into the challenges of maladministration, mismanagement of cash and problems of governance in the DRC. Issues to be discussed include the effects of corruption, endemic political crisis and the predatory economic system. The discussions will focus on the coltan and cobalt minerals and why they are strategic today.

We will also look at how illicit exploitation of coltan was instrumental in fuelling conflict in the eastern DRC and why the case of cobalt is slightly different. Could cobalt exploitation be a key contributor to state power and used to contain conflict in the eastern DRC? We will try to answer this question and to understand what national, international laws and transparency initiatives exist and why are they not effective in solving the problems once and for all.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi1QtC2ncX4&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=15&ab_channel=MineralstoMetals

Presenters: David Doepel, Nathan Williams, Muza Gondwe & Monica Gichuhi

There is a global movement in the mineral industry toward greater transparency. Companies are increasingly demanding the right to know where their minerals come from and under what conditions they were produced.

Until now, efforts to track materials and improve conditions for mining communities have had limited results. Now an emerging technology, blockchain, has arrived on the scene and promises to make a difference.

In this session, we will explore blockchain technology, how it works, what makes it unique, and how it can be used to provide traceability and assurance to the mineral industry. We will look at different ways the technology can be applied as well as some of the limitations and challenges that are yet to be solved.

Recording: https://youtu.be/yDH6mzxpB1w

Presenters: Dr Jahziel N’Kere (Professor at University of Bukavu), Mr Robert Bitumba (Country Director , Gold SC) and Mr Christian Lukusa (DRC Mining Lawyer & Managing Partner at Momentum Afrika Advisors)

The DRC is abundantly blessed with (1) mineral resources (Cobalt, Gold, Diamonds etc), (2) more than 780 hydroelectric sites (100,000 MW), (3) a potential in PV Solar and Winds representing additional 85 MW in outside of INGA Dam 3 (located near transmission line), abundant arable land but has the poorest GDP per capita in the world and is unable to develop. The World Bank Group has identified "mining industries" as a lever that the DRC can use to achieve economic growth. Panellists will discuss how DRC can use COVID 19 as an opportunity to improve its climate of investment and exceptional leadership to overcome the curse of natural resources. Panellists investigate how the determination of an optimal minerals beneficiation policy for the development of its manufacturing industry and the shared-Use Mining Infrastructure as a strategy for the development of its infrastructure. Panellists will also discuss the use of PPP mechanisms as a tool to close the financial gap after COVID due to scarcity of finances

The Panellists will focus on the development of the manufacturing sector due to a minerals beneficiation policy and on the development of infrastructures such as Power Sector, ICT needed by the industry for the benefit local community

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h8aBSIWTnA

Presenters: Megan Cole

The discussion will consider the challenges and opportunities of operationalisation of the SDGs in the mining industry. This will include a brief review of South African mining regulations and international guidelines. The focus will be on presenting a set of SDG indicators for all mining host communities across South Africa, visualised as 'barometers for wellbeing'. It will compare data for different commodities and different types of communities, classified by population size and level of influence of mining. It will present a correlation analysis for different SDG indicators and discuss possible factors affecting socio-economic wellbeing in mining host communities. Finally, it will discuss barriers to the operationalisation of the SDGs in the mining industry, such as data gaps and unclear mining host community boundaries

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ikbnEBZDU&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=12

Presenters: Welcome by the SAIMM by Isabel Geldenhuys and Allan Nesbitt

Welcome and Introduction to MtM: Jochen Petersen

Awards: Megan Becker

This session of the MtM Forum will be on how the Minerals to Metals Initiative has evolved over the past 14 years, highlighting some of the key initiatives that shaped the minds of academics, students and those who walked with us along the way. But the main focus will be on where we are headed with our current work, such as the projects aimed at making value from waste, the mine dust network, and post-mining economic transformation as well as introducing and disseminating the concepts of sustainable minerals into the broader African context. The session will also present the 'Shining Light' award to two outstanding students, signalling to the development of the next generation of innovators coming for the Minerals to Metals team. The session will be the first to be hosted by the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and will include a word of welcome from MtM alumnus Allan Nesbitt, the current chair of the SAIMM Western Cape branch and Isabel Geldenhuys, SAIMM Senior Vice President.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYShb3fEkYI&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=11

Presenters: Dr Jahziel N’Kere (Professor at University of Bukavu), Mr Robert Bitumba (Country Director , Gold SC) and Mr Christian Lukusa (DRC Mining Lawyer & Managing Partner at Momentum Afrika Advisors)

The discussion will be on artisanal and small-scale mining on the African continent with an interest in artisanal activities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The discussion focuses on artisanal activities of Cobalt, Golds, Tins, and Tantalum. Second, there will be a discussion on responsible sourcing of natural resources considering audit and tracing processes. Afterwards, there is a Q&A session

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNBgI6FhyNA&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=9

Presenters: Dr Byelongo Elisee Isheloke and Dr Paul Jourdan

Mineral beneficiation is recognised as one of the measures to ensure the mineral wealth of a state result in its sustainable development. With mining being a major contributor to several SADC member state’s gross national product and employment, there is a need to look at pathways for the region to realise the full economic potential of their mineral wealth. As individual states, SADC members do not have the capacity to realise their aspirations for minerals beneficiation. There are ongoing regional efforts to harmonise policies and build collaboration in the region. There is a need to further promote these collaborative interventions at a regional level, to pool resources required for effective mineral beneficiation. In this Forum session, state-specific beneficiation policies will be discussed, with a focus on their impact and their economic challenges. The discussion will also address the question of whether the current beneficiation policies align with the AU Agenda 2063 – and its African Mining Vision. Controversially, mineral beneficiation as one of the possibilities for industrialisation will be looked at from proponents’ and opponents’ points of view.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSWXym7uhv0&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=6

Presenters: Aysha Lotter, Linda Godfrey, Sally-Anne Kasner And Harro Von Blotnittz

The discussion will conceptualise the circular economy and identify some universal challenges faced when implementing it. The session will consider potential strategies to address these challenges in South Africa, moving away from mining raw materials, and decarbonising energy inputs. The aims of waste minimisation, reducing new metal additions from the mines and the implementation of the various 'R's regarding the existing stock is addressed. Sustainable business models and core elements needed to ensure the circularity within the South Africa economy is also evaluated.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qyj0CzBEIM&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=5

Presenters: Tapiwa Chimbganda Caroline Digby, Mike Solomon, & Jesse Burton

The session aims to discuss the different transition and transformation challenges in the mining industry to sustainable economies. Current mine closure practices are not sufficiently developed to transition mine land into environmentally and economically sustainable post‐mining landscapes, with restoration and re-vegetation of the landscape, continues to be the dominant focus.  Mine closures often leave behind distressed communities, which is especially evident in regions where communities are reliant on mines for services and infrastructure.

This session will explore mine closure and the transformation of mine land into sustainable post-mining land uses to build resilient communities. The discussion will also open up the conversation on the transition of the mining industry to a low-carbon economy

Recording:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S4ICu4iPAE&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=4

Presenters: Professor Jeremy Mann

Prof. Jeremy Mann provides a historic review of the emergence of Sustainable Development (SD) as a global imperative for survival. The review covers the beginnings and subsequent groundswell evolution towards a global necessity from the UN and other international institutions perspective. The review explores how industry and the other stakeholders (including academia & researchers) have grappled with SD and question how effective each of the stakeholders has been thus far.

The review will present some of the latest data on how the earth’s population dynamics forecast the future, specifically for Africa. How the earth’s population dynamics, in the context of the deliverable SDG’s by 2030, are driving society and communities to be more aggressive in demanding transformational change will also be explored. It is argued that the historic method and activities have reinforced a partisan approach rather than a collaborative one and that our only hope for the future is developing a resilient partnership between all stakeholders.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNlAb-v_rt8&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=3

Presenters: Jennifer Broadhurst, Helene-Marie Stander, Catherine Schenck, Susanne Karcher, and Zaynab Sadan. Chair: Thandazile Moyo

Annually, the global economy produces in excess of one billion tons of solid waste, composed of various streams such as metals, waste rock, plastics, paper etc. These types of waste are usually disposed of in landfills, with the potential of creating serious environmental and health challenges and represent a significant loss of resources. Recycling, repurposing and recovery have been identified as a contributor to the economy and to livelihoods. Minerals to Metals research focus in this space has been geared towards the recycling of metals in electric and electronic waste with new research exploring the automobile industry. There is also some ongoing research exploring the repurposing of mineral sands tailings

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk66rw_sRAQ&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=8

Presenters: De Waal Hugo, Conchita Kamanzi, Laylaa Ebrahim

This session will cover the impacts water and dust has on the mining sector. Water and dust both present critical challenges to the mining industry, each in unique ways specific to their individual context. Nevertheless, it is possible to draw on commonalities in terms of assessing impacts and monitoring performance for both dust and water-related issues. This session will draw on the research being done by MtM in this area, with a particular focus on the generation of information for decision-making and monitoring. Thereafter a discussion will follow based on the core issues identified in the presentation.

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwDi710Qd2M&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=2

Presenters: 

Tebello Chabana - Senior Executive of Public Affairs and Transformation at the Minerals Council South Africa

Thuthula Balfour - Head of Health at the Minerals Council South Africa

Richard Cramer - Postdoctoral Researcher with SARChi: Mineral Law in Africa

Gaopalelwe Mathiba - PhD Candidate and Researcher with SARChi: Mineral Law in Africa

Representatives from the SarChi: Mineral Law in Africa and the Minerals Council: South Africa join a panel discussion on the impacts of COVID-19 in the mining sector. While the scale of this disease is unprecedented, there are lessons to be learnt from past experiences. The forum will start by look at the smallpox outbreak in the mining sector in Kimberley, highlighting some lessons to avoid history repeating itself. Thereafter the current regulations and status of COVID-19 in South Africa will be discussed referencing mineworkers, Force Majeure clauses, government and industry responses, and the potential consequences of actions taken will be discussed.

Recording:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAHpE38zx5k&list=PLZSbSt_4i6_5OE_pw2LgvkQI5jBA70jUZ&index=1