BY-LAW A
MEMBERSHIP
Updated July 2023
A1 MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
A1.1 In accordance with Clause 2 of the Constitution, Council may delegate some or all of its duties and responsibilities related to membership to a Membership Committee.
A1.2 The Membership Committee shall be constituted annually and shall be chaired by a delegate nominated by the President and/or the Membership Committee, provided such a delegate is a member of the Membership Committee.
A1.3 The members of the Membership Committee shall be Corporate members of the Institute and shall have served at least one full term on the Council prior to being appointed to the Membership Committee.
A1.3.1 The Membership Committee may, to ensure adequate representation based on the identified needs, such as diversity, and the balance of the practice areas of mining and metallurgy, nominate, elect and co-opt not more than four (4) additional Corporate members to the Membership Committee in accordance with the provisions of By-law A. Such additional members shall have the privileges and responsibilities of elected members of the Membership Committee and shall hold office for that current session.
A1.4 A quorum shall consist of five (5) Corporate members.
A1.5 The Council shall have the right to request a member of the Membership Committee to forfeit his/her position or to resign if there is proof of unacceptable behaviour and/or that he/she is unable to perform his/her duties.
A1.5.1 The Membership Committee shall discuss and agree on the process to remove a member of the Membership Committee in the absence of the affected member of the Membership Committee.
A1.5.2. After consultation and engagement with the affected member of the Membership Committee, a request, in the form of a letter setting out the reasons for the recommendation, shall be submitted for consideration and finalisation to the Council.
A1.5.3 The Manager shall circulate the letter for consideration, comment and/or ratification to all members of the Council.
A1.5.4 Members of the Council shall be requested to approve or ratify this decision at the next meeting of the Council.
A2 REQUIREMENTS FOR CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP
A2.1 An Honorary Life Fellow shall be a person whom the Institute specifically desires to honour in consideration of services rendered to the Institute, to science or to industry. Honorary Life Fellows shall have all the privileges of Corporate members.
A2.1.1 The election of an Honorary Life Fellow shall take place at a Council meeting, due notice having been given at the preceding Council meeting of the Council's intention to nominate a person as an Honorary Life Fellow. The election shall require the majority vote of Corporate members of the Council present at a Council meeting.
A2.1.2 The election of an Honorary Life Fellow shall be announced at the following Annual General Meeting of the Institute.
A2.1.3 An Honorary Life Fellow will have all membership fees and subscriptions waived.
A2.2 A candidate for admission to or transfer into the category of Fellow shall:
A2.2.1 Have been a Member in good standing for five (5) years;
A2.2.2 Have a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant industry experience;
A2.2.3 Have, the last five (5) years, been practising in a senior position in the business of mining or metallurgical firms, or in governmental, educational, or research or consultancy organisations concerned with mining or metallurgy;
A2.2.4 Be practising in his/her profession at the time of his/her application;
A2.2.5 Submit to the Council:
- Details of all tertiary qualifications;
- Details of the positions and roles that he/she has filled in the previous ten years;
- Details of membership and activities with other professional organisations;
- Details of contribution to the mining and metallurgical industryabove and beyond the specific scope of his/her position
- Details of his/her continuous professional development; and
- Details of any involvement with the Institute;
A2.2.6 Be recommended by two (2) Corporate members who shall propose and support the application (the proposer and supporter must both be Fellows of the Institute);
A2.2.7 Satisfy the Council that he/she is a fit person to become a Fellow, and the Council shall be satisfied that his/her qualification, training, technical experience, and professional conduct and ethics justify such professional status.
A2.3 Where a candidate is a Fellow or equivalent of a professional organisation recognised by the Institute for this purpose, clause A2.2.1 and A2.2.6 shall not apply. The candidate shall:
A2.3.1 be a member in good standing with the recognised professional association at the time of the application; and
A2.3.2 be recommended by two (2) Fellows of the recognised professional organisation; and
A2.3.3 demonstrate significant contribution to or potential to contribute significantly to the Institute and/or the southern African minerals industry.
A2.4 A candidate for admission to or transfer into the category of Member shall:
A2.4.1 Hold a recognised tertiary qualification relevant to the minerals or associated industries and have a minimum of three (3) years relevant working experience post qualification; or
A2.4.2 Have a minimum of five (5) years relevant working experience in the minerals or associated industries and shall present evidence that indicates an individual level of educational achievement that is determined through case-by-case assessment to satisfy the education requirements prescribed by Council for membership. Evidence may include:
- Qualification(s) or credits towards qualifications not presented under A2.4.1
- Completion of examinations or other forms of assessment set or prescribed by Council; or
- Portfolio(s) of evidence of work and other outputs presented for assessment or;
- Other evidence of prior learning presented for assessment; and
A2.4.3 Be practising in his/her profession at the time of his/her application; and
A2.4.4 Be recommended by two (2) Corporate members who shall propose and support the application (the proposer and supporter must be either a Member or a Fellow of the Institute); and
A2.4.5 Satisfy the Council that he/she is a fit person to become a Member, and the Council shall be satisfied that his/her qualification, training, technical experience, and professional conduct and ethics justify such professional status.
A3 REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP
A3.1 Companies involved in or associated with the mining and metallurgical industries are eligible for admission to the category of Company Affiliate.
A3.2 Honorary Fellows shall be persons of distinction in public service, science, or the arts and shall be elected or re-elected by the Council for the current year. They shall enjoy all the privileges and rights of members, except those of holding office and voting.
A3.4 A candidate for admission to or transfer into the category of Associate shall:
A3.4.1 Be at least eighteen (18) years of age; and
A3.4.2 Be in possession of a recognised tertiary qualification relevant to the minerals or associated industries; or
A3.4.3 Have, the last three (3) years, been involved in minerals and metals industry undertakings or in governmental, service, educational or research organisations concerned with those industries, but is not in a position to meet the requirements to be registered as a Corporate member.
A3.5 A candidate for admission to the category of Student shall:
A3.5.1 Be a person in the third or further year of being educated or trained in a manner approved by the Council to occupy a technical position in or be associated with the minerals or metals industries.
A3.5.2 Confirm their eligibility to continue as a Student at the beginning of each academic year by submitting proof of registration at their applicable tertiary institution. Failure to submit proof of registration will result in the termination of their Student membership.
A3.5.3 Not remain a Student member after the end of the Institute's financial year in which he/she attains the age of twenty-eight (28) years. The Council may relax the provisions of this clause in such individual cases as it considers appropriate.
A3.6 Notwithstanding clause A3.4, any person who attends an Institute conference, and has not been a member of the Institute, shall qualify for election as an Associate member if the application is made at the conference. Membership granted in terms of this clause shall:
A3.6.1 Be free of charge until the end of the financial year in which the conference was held (as provided for in A6.6);
A3.6.2 Cease at the end of the financial year in which he/she was elected as an Associate member, and the person may apply for membership in accordance with clauses A4.3 or A4.4.
A4 ELECTION TO MEMBERSHIP
A4.1 The election or transfer of candidates to any category of membership of the Institute is at the sole discretion of the Council and shall be actioned by the Membership Committee in accordance with Clause 2 of the Constitution and A4 of this By-law.
A4.2 All applications for election or transfer to any category of membership shall be handled and processed in accordance with this By-law.
A4.2.1 The candidate shall forward his/her application to the Manager of the Institute on the application form as prescribed by the Council from time to time, duly completed in writing or electronically and accompanied by any prescribed supporting documents.
A4.2.2 The Manager shall list the names of all candidates for election, together with the relevant information, in a notice that is circulated to members.
A4.2.3 During the period of twenty-one (21) days from the date of such notice it shall be opportune for any members to communicate confidentially in writing or electronically to the Manager, any information whatsoever which will assist the Council when considering the application.
A4.2.4 After the 21 days have lapsed the Membership Committee shall consider the applications of and any communications relative thereto and shall decide, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and this By-law, the category of membership, to which a candidate is elected.
A4.2.5 A candidate shall be declared elected by a simple majority of the vote cast by the members of the Membership Committee at the meeting at which the application is submitted. Membership shall commence from the date of election, subject to compliance by the candidate with the requirements as laid down in A6.3.
A4.2.6 The Membership Committee may request additional information or documentation from a candidate during the application process and conduct interviews or reference checks with the candidate or other individuals to evaluate the candidate's suitability for membership.
A4.2.7 The Membership Committee may establish guidelines for evaluating membership applications, which shall be reviewed and approved by the Council to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly and consistently. The Membership Committee may amend these guidelines from time to time, with the approval of the Council, to ensure that the evaluation process remains relevant and effective.
A4.3 Subject to clause A2, a candidate for election to the Institute as a Corporate member shall apply on the prescribed application form accompanied by any prescribed supporting documents for consideration by the Membership Committee. The application shall be proposed and seconded by Corporate members who have personal knowledge of the candidate's professional conduct, qualifications, and experience.
A4.4 Subject to clause A3, a candidate for election as a Non-corporate member shall apply on the prescribed application form accompanied by any prescribed supporting documents for consideration by the Membership Committee.
A4.4.2 A candidate for election as an Associate member shall submit proof of his/her tertiary qualification or details of the positions and roles that he/she has filled in the previous three years indicating his/her involvement in the minerals and metals industry.
A4.4.3 A candidate for election as a Student member shall submit proof of registration for the academic year in which the application is made.
A4.5 A company that applies for election as a Company Affiliate shall apply on the prescribed application form, which requires details of the standing of the company and its association with the mining and metallurgical industries. The Council shall consider each application at the earliest opportunity and shall notify the company of its decision in writing.
A4.6 All candidates for election or transfer into any category of membership shall warrant that all information provided to Council on application for membership is true and accurate at the point of submission. Failure to provide true and accurate information may result in an application for membership being refused or membership being revoked and in such circumstances, there will be no refund of the membership subscription fee.
A4.7 By-law A and sub-sections shall, mutatis mutandis, equally apply to a request for transfer by a member from one category of membership to another.
A4.8 In the event of a candidate's application for membership being rejected, it shall not be incumbent upon the Council to give its reason for so doing.
A4.9 The Council may, in exceptional circumstances only, exercise its discretion in waiving the requirements of clause A4.3 as regards the required signatures of Corporate members if a candidate is prevented from obtaining the specified number of signatories for his/her application, either by reason of his/her place of residence or for any other valid reason beyond his/her control.
A4.9.1 In such instances, the candidate must assist the Council by submitting the names of suitable persons who can vouch for his/her character, qualifications, and experience and with whom the Membership Committee may communicate.
A5 MEMBERSHIP: LIST OF NOTICES
A5.1 A register of the names, qualification(s) and relevant contact details of each member shall be kept as the Council may direct.
A5.2 It is incumbent upon all members of the Institute to notify the Manager, in writing or electronically, of any changes of address or employer. If this is not done than the member shall be deemed to have waived service of any notices or copies of the Journal etc. and the onus of notification of non-service shall rest with the member. A notice in writing sent by registered letter to the address last registered with the Institute shall be deemed to have been duly served on the members. Any such non-service shall not exempt the members from the liability of all payments due by them to the Institute.
A5.2 A list of all Company Affiliates shall be published in each edition of the Institute's Journal.
A6 FEES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
A6.1 The Council shall decide membership subscriptions. A list of subscriptions shall be distributed to members and such list, as amended and circulated from time to time, will be published and maintained on the Institute's web site.
A6.2 All subscriptions shall become due on the first day of July in each year and shall be payable in advance.
A6.3 Notwithstanding Clause A6.2, the first subscription shall be due on receipt by the candidate of the category of membership to which he/she has been elected. Such notice shall, subject to Clause A6.3.2, include advice of the amounts of the subscription(s) which must be paid before the election of the candidate can be confirmed.
A6.3.1 Payment of the amounts due must be made within one (1) month of the date of issue of the notice referred to in Clause A6.3. If payment is not made within the prescribed period, the application and election shall be deemed to have lapsed and the Council shall not reconsider any further application until at least six (6) months after the date by which the amounts due should have been paid.
A6.3.2 The Council may, on account of distance or other circumstances, extend the period of one (1) month prescribed in Clause A6.3.1.
A6.4 With the exception of Student members transferring to Associate, any member who applies for a transfer to the next level of membership shall not be charged for the increase in membership fee at the time of transfer. No transfer fee will be levied. The applicable membership fee will then be invoiced in the subsequent financial year.
A6.5 Fellows and members who are at least fifty-five (55) years of age and who have bona fide retired from active business may retain membership at a reduced subscription (as provided for in Clause A6.1) provided they have been a member for at least ten (10) years.
A6.6 Notwithstanding clause A.6, any person who applies for membership in terms of clause A2.3 as a direct result of attending an Institute conference, shall be exempt from membership fees until the end of the financial year in which the conference attended was held.
A6.7 Should a member be elected on a date other than 1 July, his/her subscription shall be determined on a pro-rata basis for the remainder of the current financial year.
A6.7.1 When a member is elected during the last month of the financial year, his/her first subscription shall cover the period to the end of the succeeding year.
A6.8 Should a member be transferred to another category after 1 July of the current financial year, he/she shall not be invoiced for the difference between the existing and future subscription. The new membership category fee shall be invoiced in the next financial year.
A6.8.1 Notwithstanding Clause A6.7, a member transferring from the membership category of Student to Associate shall be invoiced in full or pro-rata based on his/her election date.
A6.8.2 Should a member be transferred to the Retired category of membership, he/she shall not be entitled to a refund of subscriptions fees already paid for the current financial year. The appropriate membership fees shall be invoiced in the next financial year.
A6.9 A member whose annual subscription is unpaid after three (3) months of the beginning of the financial year shall cease to be in good standing and shall not be entitled to receive the notices, publications, or awards of the Institute nor to exercise any of the rights and privileges of membership.
A6.9.1 The membership of a member whose annual subscription remains unpaid for one year may, by resolution of the Council, be suspended and his/her name be removed from the membership register. The notice of this suspension shall be published by the Institute in the Journal and/or on the Institute website with the number of this By-law being quoted as the reason for such suspension. Notice to this effect shall be sent to the member in writing by the Manager at his/her last registered address, three (3) months prior to the intended date of suspension.
A6.9.2 Such suspension shall not relieve him/her from liability for the payment of any monies due by him/her, but any person whose membership has so ceased may, at the discretion of the Council and on payment of all outstanding fees due, be reinstated within one (1) year from the date of the resolution of the Council suspending him/her. Thereafter, he/she may be readmitted only on such conditions as the Council may decide.
A6.10 The Council may, in exceptional circumstances, reduce or remit the current or arrear subscriptions due by any member.