STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

The ‘strength in numbers’ idiom should be an indispensable guide for all industries that seek to drive collaborative success. This is chiefly true for the extractive industry, particularly the quarrying sector which, in my view, needs to speak with one voice to better engage with policymakers, and to give a voice to companies, big or small.

The complex nature of the mining sector consequently involves many different laws and institutions, compounded by challenges involving both gaps in legislation and its implementation. It is therefore imperative for the industry to find better ways to engage with policymakers in order to influence sustainable development.

I am particularly impressed by ASPASA’s stance when it comes to collaboration. In my recent one-on-one with Letisha van den Berg, the new director of the surface mining industry association, she reiterated the importance of collaboration to drive the industry forward. During her first two months in charge, one of her key priorities has been to maximise collaboration with other industry bodies.

She reckons that if the industry is to successfully engage policymakers, it needs to have a collective voice. If there are a lot of disjointed voices, every single association or company will go to government with a different request despite having similar issues. Bringing those voices together makes the message stronger, clearer and more likely to succeed.

the industry insists that it should be from the muckpile. ASPASA is exploring ways to join forces with other industry bodies on this battle. If successful, that will offer key economic benefits for the industry.

To succeed in such complex legal challenges, mining industry bodies should build strong alliances with one another. By banding together, the industry definitely commands a stronger voice and has decidedly more influence. Collective lobbying and government relations efforts are areas where collaboration is particularly crucial. Alone the voice of a single association or a company will have less impact, but together the industry is able to get the attention of key policymakers. Apart from government liaison, collaboration can play a crucial role in advancing training. We would all agree that the industry should be investing more time and resources in skills development. Based on this understanding, ASPASA and the Institute of Quarrying have reached an agreement to pull resources together to advance industry training.

Skills development is an area of critical importance for both organisations. They acknowledge that the current skills shortage, exacerbated by the brain drain, is a major challenge, not only for the quarrying industry, but for the mining sector at large. This is particularly hostile to business growth.

Email: munesu@quarryingafrica.com

A case in point is the royalties dispute with the South African Revenue Services (SARS). Over the years, payment of royalties has been a hotly contested issue among quarry owners and operators as to where the value of a mined product needs to be determined in order to calculate exact payments.

The industry’s dispute with SARS exists over the first point of sale at which the value of royalties needs to be calculated. The ‘taxman’ argues that royalties should be calculated from the stockpile, while

In addition, collaboration plays a crucial role in the development of consistent best practice and standards for the industry. Some of the benefits of adopting voluntary best practices and standards include data sharing, streamlined systems and processes, and increased operational efficiencies. More importantly, it translates into unparalleled health and safety standards, thus driving the industry’s quest for zero harm.

In my view, for companies that do not have a compliance budget yet, associations can help because they can amplify smaller voices higher up the chain. That allows them to tap into the collective voice of the industry. a

Publishing Editor: Munesu Shoko

Sub Editor: Glynnis Koch

Admin: Linda T. Chisi

Design: Kudzo Mzire Maputire

Web Manager: Thina Bhebhe

Quarrying Africa is the information hub for the sub-Saharan African quarrying sector. It is a valued reference tool positioned as a must-read for the broader spectrum of the aggregates value chain, from quarry operators and aggregate retailers, to concrete and cement producers, mining contractors, aggregate haulage companies and the supply chain at large.

© Quarrying Africa

Quarrying Africa, published by DueNorth Media Africa, makes constant effort to ensure that content is accurate before publication. The views expressed in the articles reflect the source(s) opinions and are not necessarily the views of the publisher and editor.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various thought leaders and contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Quarrying Africa team.

Quarrying Africa prides itself on the educational content published via www.quarryingafrica.com and in Quarrying Africa magazine in print. We believe knowledge is power, which is why we strive to cover topics that affect the quarrying value chain at large.

Printed by:

Contact Information

Email: munesu@quarryingafrica.com

Cell: +27 (0)73 052 4335