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SAIMM awards its most prestigious prize to Neal Froneman, CEO of Sibanye-Stillwater

Known for his skills as an ace dealmaker, mining giant Neal Froneman has been honoured with the 2021 Brigadier Stokes award by the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), considered the highest distinction to be bestowed by the South African mining and metallurgical sector.

Having taken over duties as executive director and CEO on 1 January 2013, Froneman has spent the past eight years transforming Sibanye-Stillwater from a 1.5Moz South Africa-based gold producer into a leading precious metals miner with an international operating footprint ranking among the world’s top three PGM producers.

OBITUARY: NAVIN SINGH

Navin Singh 2107202114 November 1971 – 12 July 2021

Navin Singh was born on 14 November 1971 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

He started his career at South Deep Gold Mine in 1996 as Strata Control Officer, progressing to the position of Chief Rock Engineer (Operations). In 2000 he relocated to Australia, and joined Western Mining Corporation as Senior Geotechnical Engineer at Olympic Dam Mine in South Australia. He returned to South Africa in 2001 to take up the position of Research Manager for Rock Engineering at the CSIR, and subsequently that of Programme Manager for Mining. He served for a time as New Technology Manager at Gold Fields Ltd, then moved to the Mine Health & Safety Council as Chief Research and Operations Officer, remaining in that position for the next 6 years. Navin returned to the CSIR in 2015 as Manager for Mining R&D. He was involved in establishing the Mandela Mining Precinct in partnership with the DST and the then Chamber of Mines and became the Co-Director of the Precinct for the period 2016–2020. He held the position of Head of Technology, Kumba Iron Ore (Anglo American) when he passed on.

Annual General Meeting Thursday, 12 August 2021 at 12:00, via Zoom

REGISTER HERE FOR THE AGM

AGENDA:

1. Welcome
2. Confirmation of minutes
3. Obituaries
4. Honorary Life Fellowship
5. Brigadier Stokes Memorial Award
6. Announcement of awards, medals, and certificates
7. Announcement of student prizes
8. SAIMM 5 Star Incentive Programme and Top Advertiser in the Journal
9. Annual report of the Council and accounts for the year ended 30 June 2021
10. Declaration of election of Office Bearers, members of Council and other positions for the year 2021/2022
11. Election of auditors and honorary legal advisors for the year 2020/2021
12. Outgoing Presidential Award
13. Induction of President—I.J. Geldenhuys
14. Presidential address
15. Vote of thanks

OBITUARY: DENNIS LAUBSCHER

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.

POSTPONEMENT OF NORTHERN CAPE BRANCH STUDENT EVENT

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.

Obituary - Dr Ferdi Camisani


Ferdi Camisan10122020Dr 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.

Dear member, kindly update your details

There is a high likelihood that your profile information was last entered into our database when you applied for membership. Your records on our database continued to be static. However, your career has been dynamic. You have most likely acquired further professional qualifications, changed jobs or climbed up the corporate ladder.

Wherever your path has led you, we want to thank you for your ongoing membership and support. Moreover, we would like to be your professional resources partner in reaching your next career milestone.

Therefore, if you have not already done so, we kindly ask that you update your details so that they accurately reflect your biographical, education and employment profile. This information will enable us to:

- develop and offer products and services that are relevant to your current and future career goals; and
- segment our membership so that we can communicate with you more effectively.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need assistance with accessing the member self-serve portal or updating your details. Contact kea@saimm.co.za.

Member Notice

SAIMM Annual General Meeting

Thursday, 13 August 2020 at 12:00, via Zoom

  1. Welcome
  2. Confirmation of minutes
  3. Obituaries
  4. Honorary Life Fellowship
  5. Brigadier Stokes Memorial Award
  6. Announcement of awards, medals, and certificates
  7. Announcement of student prizes
  8. SAIMM 5 Star Incentive Programme and Top Advertiser in the Journal
  9. Annual report of the Council and accounts for the year ended 30 June 2020
  10. Declaration of election of Office Bearers, members of Council and other positions for the year 2020/2021
  11. Election of auditors and honorary legal advisors for the year 2020/2021
  12. Outgoing Presidential Award
  13. Induction of President—V.G. Duke
  14. Presidential address
  15. Vote of thanks
Presidential Address:

Ethics, Morals, and Leadership

Members of the SAIMM are facing a rapidly changing global environment and uncertain times at home.

The world is being increasingly challenged by climate change, shortages of arable land and potable water, sustainable energy needs, food security, and a huge growth in urban populations.

Closer to home, South Africa finds itself entrenched in a climate of continual political and economic uncertainty. South Africans are experiencing unemployment, corruption, civil unrest, xenophobia, polarization, increasing debt, and poverty. The reputations of numerous businesses, including Steinhoff, EOH, Tongaat Hulett, KPMG and McKinsey, have been compromised over allegations of corruption.

These dynamics, together with a growing digital economy, are changing the way we communicate, absorb information, and interact with one other. This in turn creates new challenges for the SAIMM, including increasing competition for our members’ attention with respect to attendance at conferences, meetings, and working groups.

So, to remain relevant, the SAIMM needs to transform itself. A suitable strategy has been developed and the code of ethics updated to provide ethical guidance to members as they face today’s challenges and issues. This update entailed a move away from a more rules-based code to a less prescriptive, values-based code of ethics that is more suited to today’s world, and which emphasises the SAIMM’s principles and values.

Effective leadership is clearly needed, now more than ever. The SAIMM can and should contribute to the enormous challenges facing South Africa, and this can be achieved by urging members to act ethically and lead effectively when needed.

In this address, on Ethics, Morals, and Leadership I will expand on the above, clarify the differences between ethics and morals, and discuss the essence of leadership and how an appreciation of the difference between ethics and morals can impact our performance as professionals and leaders.

Hopefully, these insights will contribute positively to members as they continue to influence and impact developments across Southern Africa by leading ethically, whenever and wherever required.

Vaughn Glenn Duke

VaugnVaughn was born in 1962 in Boksburg, where his father worked as a geologist on ERPM for Rand Mines. He grew up with two younger sisters and a brother. Geologists move around a lot and so, although Vaughn started his schooling at Christian Brothers College in Boksburg, he completed grade 7 at Princess Primary in Krugersdorp before attending Krugersdorp High to grade 11. Circumstances changed again and he ended up matriculating at Glenwood High School in Durban, where he made a wise choice to stop playing rugby and instead achieved a university exemption. Vaughn was accepted by the University of the Witwatersrand to sit for a BSc (Hons) Mining Engineering and graduated in 1986.

He then worked for COMRO for six months before moving to Zimbabwe to work for his father in a small business that researched, ’pegged’, and packaged small mining prospects for lease and/or sale to larger companies. Geologists and mining engineers traditionally disagree, so Vaughn accepted a job with the Cementation Company (Zimbabwe) Ltd to work on a shaft sinking contract at Dalny Mine, which was Zimbabwe’s deepest mine at the time. He was 25 years old and had to learn quickly because it was a 6 m diameter shaft that was being sunk without the help of a ’boesman’ or a cactus grab. He did learn fast and was soon appointed to run the site as a Site Manager, after which he was transferred to a large civil tunnelling contract at Darwendale near Harare.

Vaughn’s marriage to his university sweetheart Lynne in 1988 was followed by his return to South Africa in 1989, where he joined AngloVaal Pty Ltd to work at its Hartebeesfontein Gold Mine. He was moved to Loraine Gold Mines in 1992 to work as a Section Manager at the No 1 Shaft and for AngloVaal’s new Target Project. He returned to Harties on promotion in 1995, and was transferred to head office in 1997. He worked as the Group Mining Engineer, General Manager: Technical Services, and Project Manager for the Northern Free State Expansion Project until AngloVaal was absorbed by African Rainbow Minerals in 2004. Vaughn also completed an MBA with distinction at the Gordon Institute of Business Science of the University of Pretoria during this period.

Vaughn established Sound Mining Solution (Pty) Ltd in 2004, and after working out of rented offices in Marshalltown, purchased a building in Rivonia in 2008. Sound Mining is now well established and Vaughn is privileged and blessed to be working with a fantastic group of colleagues who have chosen to remain with Sound Mining. They have been successfully working together for many years.

Vaughn has been associated with the Southern African Institution of Mining and Metallurgy since his university days. He is now a Fellow and has contributed to numerous committees and working groups. Vaughn is a recognised Project Management Professional and a registered professional with the Engineering Council of South Africa.

Vaughn has been married to Lynne for 32 years. Their eldest son Michael is studying chemistry at Wits, their daughter is currently completing her degree at Lisof (London Institute of Fashion), and the youngest, Daniel, is in his second year at the University of Pretoria studying mechanical engineering. Lynne and Vaughn cherish and prioritize their time together and are often found cycling in the Cradle.

Uncertain about submitting an abstract or paper?

We understand your concern. The SAIMM is well aware of the current uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 and the future of events and public gatherings. We have postponed all 2020 events to 2021 and have scheduled several online conferences as well as free webinars for the remainder of the year.

We are moving forward with our plans for all 2021 events. The submission dates for abstracts and papers remain the same for all events, and the peer review processes will continue as planned. We are monitoring the current COVID-19 situation and will continue to do so throughout the year. Events will be changed and modified to adapt to the situation we are faced within 2021.

We will be working closely with our venues and will monitor event planning best practices for the safety of our attendees. If there are any changes with the planned events, authors and attendees will be informed timeously. If your ability to present or submit an abstract or paper changes closer to the event date, let us know so that we can update the programme before it is finalised.

Continue to submit your work for the 2021 planned conferences. We look forward to your submissions.

COVID-19 statement

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus), SAIMM is adhering to the request by the national government and the World Health Organisation. The welfare of everyone remains our top priority. Please visit https://sacoronavirus.co.za/

Before the announcement of the national 21-day lockdown, the SAIMM Council debated the way forward at length and we will continue monitoring the situation closely and communicate with our members to keep them informed on how this will impact the Institute going forward.

We have postponed all conferences and other events that were scheduled up to the end of July and instead plan to deliver some of them later in the year or via virtual conferencing platforms. We will share more information on this in the coming weeks. The various Organising Committees are deliberating options for the affected events and participants will be contacted directly with more information on how these events will be rolled out.

We urge all our local members to follow the rules as laid down by our national government, and our international members to follow those implemented by their respective governments.

SAIMM on twitter

Other mining news

Mining Weekly | Africa

04 December 2023

The latest mining world news and project information from Africa. providing updates on the progress of future, new and existing projects. Developments in mining legislation, policies, investments and infrastructure will be highlighted
  • Joint operation leads to more than 100 arrests of suspected illegal miners in Ekurhuleni
    A joint operation between the SA Police Service (SAPS), SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and the Department of Home Affairs led to the arrest of more than 100 suspected illegal miners (colloquially known as zama zamas) in Primrose, Ekurhuleni, on Friday. Gauteng police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, said authorities descended on the Marathon informal settlement after public outcry about illegal mining and random shootings in the area.
  • Sibanye concludes consultations with labour over Kloof 4 restructuring
    Multinational mining and metals processing group Sibanye-Stillwater says it had constructive consultations with stakeholders affected by the planned closure of its Kloof 4 shaft in Gauteng. The company in September announced that it was planning to restructure the operation amid ongoing losses over an extended period and operational constraints at the Kloof 4 shaft. At the time, it indicated that 2 389 employees and 581 contractors may lose their jobs as a result,
  • US gives $50m boost to critical minerals investor TechMet
    A US government agency has given investment firm TechMet an additional $50-million to support the company’s focus on critical minerals. The backing from the US International Development Finance Corporation brings its total investment to $105-million, and implies a valuation for TechMet of more than $1 billion, the Dublin-based company said Friday in a statement. The US agency made an initial investment of $25-million in the closely held firm in 2020.