MSc (Botany) / Department of Botany

MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / The Mushithe coal occurrence is situated approximately 16 km west of the Tshikondeni coal mine in the Tshipise-Pafuri sub-basin of the Soutpansberg coalfield in South Africa. The Soutpansberg Coalfield has received comparatively less attention compared to other more notable South African coalfields. There is as a consequence very limited information in the public domain applicable to the geology as well as quality of coal in this coalfield, as a result there is no known study focused exclusively on the Mushithe coal occurrence. The aim of the study was to conduct detailed geological mapping of the Mushithe Deposit so as to ascertain the geological environment and petrological characteristics of rocks within the area. Further work involved coal sampling and analysis in order to establish coal quality and its physical and chemical characteristics. Samples were collected using geological field mapping and channel sampling. Nine coal samples were collected from the coalbed and host rock, exposed along the Mbodi River, during geological field mapping using channel sampling. Furthermore, 92 rock samples were collected during geological field mapping of which 10 representative samples were selected for further analysis. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry was conducted on all selected samples. Proximate analysis and ultimate analyses, and calorimetry tests were undertaken on coal samples. Three samples were selected based on calorific value for maceral identification, mineral analyses and vitrinite reflectance using petrographic study. Detailed geological mapping of the area around the Mushithe coal occurrence showed the geological setting of coal in this area. The following lithologies were identified in the study area: sandstone, mudstone, ironstone, calcrete, shale, quartzite, quartz vein with a general strike direction to the north-east. The host rocks including coal were intruded by dolerite dykes and this resulted in the devolatilization of coal. The current study concluded that the Mushithe coal was formed in a wet swampy environment. This has been confirmed based on tissue preservation index (1.69) and gelification index (2.35). Coal rank ranged from bituminous Rank C- B according to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Coal Classification (UNECE) and samples were characterised by high ash (27.90%), high moisture (10.47%) and low sulphur (0.24%). Furthermore, coal was graded below grade D based on classification for use by ESKOM which consider any calorific value below 24.5 MJ/kg to be in this category. The coal is vitrinite rich (77.75 vol%) and low in Inertinite (22.25 vol%) and devoid of Liptinite and pseudovitrinite, thus it is of good coking quality. Geochemical analysis revealed that the coal was enriched in TiO2 and Fe2O3 which was corroborated by the mineral matter which was mostly clay and pyrite. Comparatively, coal quality analysis revealed the calorific value of 14.26 MJ/kg and vitrinite reflectance between 0.94 %ROV to 1 %ROV which was less than that of the Tshikondeni Deposit but greater than that at Waterberg coalfield. The study recommends further detailed exploration of coal in the area, applying such techniques such as geophysical exploration and borehole drilling leading to resource evaluation. Further studies are recommended to provide a better interpretation of the depositional environment of coal at Mushithe as well as the effect of devolatilaziton by a dolerite dyke. / NRF

The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between sense of coherence, work locus of control and burnout amongst mid-level managers in underground coal mining, and to determine whether sense of coherence and work locus of control can predict the level of burnout in the sample. A cross-sectional survey design was used and three questionnaires were administered, namely the Orientation to Life questionnaire, The Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey and the Work Locus of Control Scale. The sample consisted of 131 mid-level managers from a leading coal mining organisation in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The results indicated low to moderate levels of exhaustion, cynicism and reduced professional efficacy, as subdimensions of burnout, in the sample group. Sense of coherence and internal work locus of control showed statistically significant negative correlations with burnout. The two salutogenic constructs predicted a significant portion of the variance in burnout in the sample group. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between sense of coherence, work locus of control and burnout amongst mid-level managers in underground coal mining, and to determine whether sense of coherence and work locus of control can predict the level of burnout in the sample. A cross-sectional survey design was used and three questionnaires were administered, namely the Orientation to Life questionnaire, The Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey and the Work Locus of Control Scale. The sample consisted of 131 mid-level managers from a leading coal mining organisation in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The results indicated low to moderate levels of exhaustion, cynicism and reduced professional efficacy, as subdimensions of burnout, in the sample group. Sense of coherence and internal work locus of control showed statistically significant negative correlations with burnout. The two salutogenic constructs predicted a significant portion of the variance in burnout in the sample group. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

MPH / Department of Public of Health / The occupational health and safety of coal mine workers is one of the major occupational challenges in the mining industry. Coal mine workers face the looming perils of potential falls of volatile rocks, the ergonomic challenges caused by bending and lifting heavy objects in their daily work, the challenges caused by inhaling coal mine dust which can cause coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) and a plethora of other hazards in both underground and open cast mines on a daily basis. The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of coal mineworkers pertaining to occupational health and safety at the Leeuwpan mine in Mpumalanga province of South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative, cross sectional descriptive design. Self-reported questionnaires with closed-ended questions were administered to the eligible participants. The study targeted the 3200 coal mineworkers who were employed at the Leeuwpan mine in Lephalale. A sample of 356 mineworkers was used as derived from Slovin’s formula and data was collected over a period of 5 days at the Leeuwpan mine. Measures to ensure validity and reliability were ensured and ethical considerations were observed. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used to analyse the data. Results and recommendations are based on the findings of the study. / NRF

The de-industrialisation process that was a common feature of North America and Western Europe in the 1970s, through into the 1980s has become an observable feature in African countries and South Africa in particular in the last two decades. Globally, hard hit areas include those associated with the early Industrial Revolution characterised by mass production and the agglomeration of iron and steel, coal and textile industries. General changes in the global market, especially the falling demand for extractive heavy minerals like coal and gold have also affected many countries region and localities. In the case of South Mrica, the previous high economic dependence on mined minerals like coal and gold has resulted in many once prosperous mining regions of the country being reduced to a shadow of their former selves. The worst affected areas in South Africa are those of the Klerksdorp Goldfields in the North West Province and Free State Goldfields, with the latter alone losing 100,000 jobs during the 1990s. This trend has also been acute in the coal-mining industry of the KwaZulu-Natal province since the late 1970s. The firms that had grown in the shadow of the major mining company supplyipg machinery, or who processed the semi-manufactured product are also severely affected by the closing down and restructuring in the mining and iron industries. These industries have often been forced to close down because of a break in the vital connections they developed with these mining industries. Such localised economic crisis has encouraged the universal trend towards the devolution of developmental responsibilities to the local governments and other local stakeholders to - empower them to respond to these changes. This study investigated the local economic initiatives which have been undertaken in the three municipalities of north-western KwaZulu Natal i.e. Utrecht, Dundee and Dannhauser to respond to the closures which have taken place in the mining industry of this region, which used to be among the most prosperous coal mining regions of South Africa. Using their new developmental mandate the local governments, in partnership with the communities and other external interveners have tried to respond to these localised economic crisis and also indirectly to the general poverty and underdevelopment, which characterises this region of KwaZulu-Natal. The effects of apartheid policies, and previous discriminatory rural development policies in, particular, and the Regional Industrial Development policy, which was intensively applied in the 1980s by the pre-1994 government regime, have further compounded the magnitude of the challenge. The lack of capacity in some municipalities has constrained successful implementation of Local Economic Development has led to some communities acting alone to face their situation with or without external intervention.