Alastair Macfarlane, SAIMM President 2018/2019, introduces the New Technology Conference and Trade Show to take place this year. Find out more about this exciting event that will focus on "Embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Minerals Industry".
SAIMM members who achieve 50 years of membership are awarded a 9ct gold lapel badge at the Annual General Meeting. A few years ago an additional presentation process was instituted, where an Office Bearer or Past President would present the badge to members at their homes, if they were unable to attend the AGM. This year, Mr Patrick Willis, a Past President who lives in the UK, agreed to present the badge to Mr Alan Merson, a member who lives in Scotland.
Mr Merson joined the SAIMM on 20 May 1968. He transferred to the grade of Member on 18 February 1971 and then became a Fellow of the SAIMM on 14 April 1986. He was a Mine Manager at Bank Colliery and became a Retired Fellow on 17 January 1992.
This photograph displays SAIMM President 2006/2007 Patrick (Pat) Willis presenting the badge to Mr and Mrs Merson, at a lunch arranged at the Dome Restaurant in Edinburgh.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Minister M T Kubayi-Ngubane, has released a draft of the 2018 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation for public consultation.
We encourage SAIMM members to provide input directly to the Department of Science and Technology for consideration.
This document and contact details are available on the following websites:
www.dst.gov.za
www.gcis.gov.za
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s meticulous set of mineral reporting codes has succeeded in attracting a high-ranking Chinese delegation from the Mineral Resources and Reserves Evaluation Centre of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources (MRREC) in Beijing.
Until the beginning of this year, Peter Knottenbelt was an ordinary Ebotse parkrunner with 14 parkrun finishes to his name. (Well not so ordinary; running in the VM 70-74 age category Peter had a recent PB of 26;33 and a 67% age grading, run at altitude on the tough Ebotse course).
All this changed while Peter was on holiday in the lowveld near Hoedspruit at a lodge on the Olifants River. Peter and friends and family were having fun in the river and decided to wade across to the far bank. They had been assured that there “are no crocodiles in the river and none have ever been seen in this stretch of the Olifants” At the far side of the river Peter trod on the bony head of a 3 metre long Nile crocodile which promptly seized him by the leg and tried to drag Peter off to drown in deeper water. There followed a harrowing battle in which Peter was severely wounded and tried desperately to thrust his thumbs into the crocodile’s eyes. So hard was he pushing that he also broke his wrists with the effort. It must have been a terrifying experience to realise the blood in the water was his own.
On the 16th of August 2018 Alastair Macfarlane was inducted as the SAIMM President for 2018/2019. The students and members attending the AGM welcomed him as president with applause. We look forward to the impact that Alastair Macfarlane will make during his year in office.
Towards the future: African Mining Vision, Mining Phakisa and the SAIMM
Recent winds of political change blowing through the African continent have created the hope of a new dawn for the mining industry, and for renewed impetus to support the African Mining Vision.
CuCoAfrica Dignitaries: L-R:
Mooya Lumamba (Director of Mines and Minerals, Zambia), Jackson Sikamo (Chairperson and Country Manager at Chibuluma Mines Plc, Zambia), Sehliselo Ndlovu (President: SAIMM), Paul Chanda (Permanent Secretary: Zambia Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development), Sokwani Chilembo (CEO Zambian Chamber of Mines), Darius Muma (Zambian Branch Chair: SAIMM), Kathy Sole (Conference Chair: Copper Cobalt Africa 2018).
Copper Cobalt Africa, hosted by the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), took place from 10 to 12 July 2018. The conference was held in the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the mighty Victoria Falls. Recent strong rises in the prices of copper and cobalt, coupled with increasing international interest in developments in the African Copperbelt, attracted over 300 delegates, representing 22 countries.
Dee Bradshaw
22 Sept 1958 to 7 June 2018
Emeritus Professor Dee Bradshaw passed away on 7th June 2018 after a courageous battle with cancer, just a few months short of her 60th Birthday. Throughout her illness, Dee remained a leading light and inspiration to students, colleagues and professionals across the globe. A major highlight for her in 2018 was the launch of her book “Green Mining: Beyond the Myth” at the Two Ocean’s Aquarium ahead of the Annual Mining Indaba - attended by senior representatives of the Minister of the Presidency, AngloGold Ashanti and the University of Cape Town (UCT) as well as colleagues, students, friends and family. The book culminates a career of thought leadership, a passion for people and minerals in collectively addressing complex, intractable problems in society.
SAMCODES Chairperson Matt Mullins was recently at the Junior Indaba, speaking to Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly.
