The Diamonds – Source to Use conference series targets the full spectrum of the diamond pipeline, from exploration through to sales and marketing. The 2021 conference, the eighth in the series, will focus on advances in the mining and metallurgical aspects as well as many of the downstream and related industries.

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The Colloquium on Renewable Solutions for an Energy Intensive Industry will provide an overview of renewable technologies for electricity and process heat commercially available and currently under development. The workshop will host presentations from universities, research institutes and energy supply companies. Presentations from industry on renewable energy applications are also invited.

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OBITUARY: DENNIS LAUBSCHER
PIONEER OF BLOCK CAVING

A legend in the mining industry, Dennis Laubscher, South Africa’s and the world’s foremost authority on block caving techniques, died 3 February at the age of 91 at Bushman’s River Mouth, Eastern Cape. He is survived by four grown-up children (Susan Stampanoni, Dionne, Tessa, and Robert Laubscher) from his first marriage to Patricia May (nee Binnie) who died on 29 August, 2002; their elder son Carl having also passed away. On 27 February 2004, Dennis married Michelle (nee Broster).

Born in Tulbagh, Western Cape, on 1 October 1929, Dennis Laubscher earned a BSc (Eng.) in mining geology in 1952, and a PhD in 1964, both from the University of the Witwatersrand. His career was highlighted by numerous awards: the South Africa Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) Gold Medal in 1995; a Lifetime Achievement Award from the South African Institute of Rock Engineering in 1998; the De Beers Mass Mining Award at Massmin 2000; and the Brigadier Stokes Platinum Medal from SAIMM in 2007.

During this difficult and uncertain time, we know that the health and safety of you, your families and the wider community is of the utmost importance. We as an organisation share both your individual and organisational concerns on the virus’ expanding global reach. SAIMM has been closely monitoring the spread of the disease, especially related to our conference registrants and their travelling. As always, your safety is our highest priority. Due to the increasing urgency of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to inform you that the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Northern Cape Branch has decided to postpone the Student event that was due to take place on the 20th of January 2021 at the Kalahari Country Club. This event will be postponed until further notice.

Dr Ferdi Camisani,
July 1939 – November 2020.

Ferdi Camisani was born outside Parma, Italy just a few weeks after the declaration of World War II
He was a student of the father of geostatistics, Georges Matheron, in Fontainebleau, France and together with Danie Krige, wrote some of the first papers on the application of geostatistics in South Africa.
During his long career in South Africa he worked with De Beers, Anglo American, the Atomic Energy Corporation, and Anglovaal.
Ferdi was a member of the Geostatistical Association of Southern Africa (GASA) and the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM). On his retirement from SAIMM activities in 2012 the President, Gordon Smith, acknowledged his contribution as follows.