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Driving diversity and inclusion in mining
DIVERSITY
DRIVING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN MINING
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The demographics in South Africa’s mining industry do not match the country’s population. Even though many mining houses have established and implemented policies and procedures specifically directed at diversity and inclusion within their organisations, the industry still has a long way to go.
Speaking to Inside Mining magazine, Itumeleng Seabelo, business manager at Linhleko Projects, explains that during her career – as a metallurgist, production manager and plant manager – she has encountered a fair number of people from various social ethnic backgrounds as well as sexual orientations. She does, however, point out that there is still more that could be done to further enhance diversity and inclusion in the mining workforce.
Challenges faced by the industry
The mining industry has made some progress when it comes to diversity and inclusion, yet a lot of challenges still stand in the way. Seabelo mentions that these challenges include perception – where many people perceive the mining industry as being a space for men. “They don’t believe that women are able work in the mining industry and perform,” she says.
Another obstacle is that many female mine workers are often overlooked when it comes to career advancement opportunities, despite the fact that they possess the necessary skills and qualifications. “What struck me the most is that they are also expected to work harder to prove their capabilities.”
Limited work awareness is another challenge identified by Seabelo, whereby she explains that there are not enough work campaigns within schools and communities about the opportunities available for everyone in the mining industry.
Addressing the challenges
“I think we need to look at the lower level, meaning people who are not qualified. We need to ensure that those people are exposed to exhibitions about careers and opportunities in mining.” Another suggestion put forward by Seabelo is to have in-house workshops for employees in the mining industry to assist in equipping them with knowledge and information relating to their rights and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (No. 75 of 1997).
Effectiveness of regulations
In efforts to redress injustices of the past, various regulations were introduced in South Africa. One of them is the Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998), which aims to remove discrimination and promote equity, equality and opportunity for all employees. In terms of regulations, Seabelo believes that these can be more effective if they are put into practice as opposed to being regarded as a ‘nice to have’. “We need to ensure that employees are familiarised with such Acts. There is a culture within industries, including the mining industry, to include employment equity just for compliance.” Again, she stresses that educating employees is important in this regard.
There is no doubt that the mining industry has its flaws, but it certainly is trying to improve. Seabelo points out that the mining industry is doing well in terms of creating opportunities for all employees of different genders. The problem, however, is when such opportunities are limited to top-level management. “What is worrying is that those opportunities are dominated by one ethnic group.” She gives an example of most of the top mining CEOs being predominantly white males.
Doing more to accommodate everyone
In addition to the industry’s efforts, Seabelo says, “We need to encourage the locals within mining areas to participate in mining programmes.” She also mentions capacitating SMMEs. “In most cases, you will have people within the communities looking for business opportunities within the mines. We as the mining industry need to ensure that we capacitate them.” Furthermore, Seabelo believes that people from local communities need to be prioritised for recruitment at mining operations.
Another important factor is that host communities need to have a sense of ownership and belonging when it comes to mines around them. “They also need to be knowledgeable about a mine’s vision and objective. At the end of the day, we’d expect both the mines and the communities to work toward one goal.”
More employee wellness and cultural diversity programmes need to implemented in the mining industry to build and establish a relationship between mines and the community. In so doing, community disruptions at mining operations could potentially be avoided. “They need to be part of us, and we need to be part of them,” Seabelo concludes.
DIVERSITY
