Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A sound strategic approach to the management of the Mine Technical Services (MTS) department at Styldrift is critical. There are numerous areas of influence that play a role in the success or failure of the department. All these influences have an impact on each other and these influences need to be carefully understood. Within the MTS department there are also several subdepartments that have to be staffed, equipped and managed very well in order to get the best interdependent relationship between departments as possible. It is only through this interdependent relationship that the department can function complementarily and excel in achieving its strategic goals. Mineral resources at a mine are managed through the services from the mine technical team. There are few strategic documents in the mineral resource management (MRM) field that provide a guideline to set up a department successfully. Departments throughout the country operate on different levels with different standards without the knowledge shared from the one section to the next. For the purpose of this assignment, some of the ground principles were investigated and documented to create a link between departments, mines and companies to enable the move towards operational excellence within the MTS. Through the application of relevant literature, research was conducted on the industry to determine best practices. The industry best practices are discussed and referenced to Styldrift Specific. The strategy and management philosophy were evaluated and are highlighted in this assignment. With the literature firmly understood and the required direction from the company placed in perspective, the strategy for the MTS department could be crafted to an extent that it can be executed. Each department was broken down to manageable elements to understand the functioning of the department. The fundamental OR requirements were evaluated and are stipulated in this paper. The MTS department was then dissected through the available theory to guide the process of crafting and executing the departmental strategy. The journey through to operational excellence and the fundamental guideline of crafting and executing a strategic plan for an MTS department to manage mineral resources become clearer as the chapters of the assignment are completed. The end goal of the project was to have a document that can guide staffing, equipping and management of the MTS department at Styldrift in order to ensure success for the project, mine and surrounding communities.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Managing the diverse production and support teams on mining operations in Southern Africa is proving to be problematic and challenging. Many mines are facing strikes, “go-slows” and destructive conflict related to diversity issues. The objective of this case study was to evaluate the apparent successful diversity management practices employed at Benga Mine (an MCC Group mine) in Mozambique. The study aimed to determine the success of the tactics employed by the management team and whether successful tactics can be utilised at other mines operating within the MCC Group. The case study evaluated seven practical diversity management tactics employed by the management of the mine as conceptual method. The seven tactics were verified through a literature review and an eighth “other” category was provided for additional tactics that the research may reveal. The research revealed that the diversity management tactics at Benga Mine have some strengths and some weaknesses. The management team focused on translation of communication to the primary spoken languages on the mine. This enabled good communication flow, but further improvements can be made. Most employees identify with the Benga Mine and feel a sense of common purpose. The management team identified nutrition as a critical diversity management issue. This was an accurate observation as the research revealed that the availability and quality of food is of fundamental importance to them. Further improvement, such as catering for vegetarians, can be made to the food offerings. Strong relationships exist on the mine and this is the area where the Benga Mine management team excel. Employees feel that issues on importance can be addressed through various communication platforms and that their concerns are being taken seriously. Employees believe that all groups have the opportunity to raise issues and that the management team evaluate their concerns with compassion and care. The sound communication system employed at Benga Mine builds relationships and promotes a culture where employees can engage with management. The management of employment equity policies poses a significant challenge to the mine. The expats manage and pose the bulk of technical and operational expertise, resulting in significant risk to the sustainability of the business since the work permit quota system requires knowledge transfer to Mozambique citizens. Additionally, the work environment is not conducive to gender equality and female employees feel marginalised. An organisational culture conducive to managing and valuing the contribution and presence of all groups has been created at the mine. Further improvement can be made by terminating tokens of separations such as different uniforms for managers and operational employees. No significant new or additional diversity management factors were identified during the research. Benga Mine’s diversity management tactics are effective, but improvements can easily be achieved by focusing on the recommendations of this case study. The recommendations include improvements to translation of management instructions, clarification of employment equity obligations and a higher degree of sensitivity to the needs of female employees.

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Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mine water, that is all forms of water associated with and affected by mining operations is probably the largest area of concern in the environmental geology of mining. This study looks at the inter-relationship between mine water geochemistry and mine water management. The objectives of this study are: 1. To examine major geochemical processes influencing mine water; 2. To apply new national water and environmental legislation to the mining industry and discover how mine water management will be regulated; 3. To examine the approach of Integrated Catchment Management, and discover how this approach can be applied to the mining industry; 4. To conduct two case studies, where environmental geochemistry, general geochemistry and multivariate analyses are used as tools to investigate groundwater contamination problems in mining areas, and therefore suggest mine water management interventions; and 5. To, considering mine water problems discovered in the case studies, develop a newly-patented chemical treatment method for possible application in the mining industry. The changing legal framework - principally the implementation of the National Water Act (Act No 36 of 1998) and the National Environmental Management Act (Act No 107 of 1998) - is leading to the responsibilities of a mine becoming substantially clearer, and responsibilities which in the past could have been ignored until public outcry will now be difficult to escape. Two case studies are investigated. In both cases, general geochemistry and hydrogeochemistry, coupled with factor analysis are used to determine the major signatures in groundwater chemistry and the major sources of contamination. On the basis of this, management interventions are suggested. In the first case study, Sishen Iron Ore Mine of the Northern Cape, three signatures are identified in the groundwater: a clean dolomitic water signature, and a contamination signature from the mine and one from agriculture. The extent of nitrate and diesel contamination is shown to be related to agriculture, the use of explosives and to mine workshops and depots. Surface water controls may help reduce these problems. In the second case study, West Driefontein Gold Mine of the Far West Rand, two signatures are identified in the groundwater: a clean dolomitic water signature and a signature relating to contamination from the mine. Cluster analysis is used to suggest three groundwater zones, the chemistry of one being fairly clean dolomitic aquifer, the chemistry of the second affected by the mine and the chemistry of the third affected by granites. Contamination is shown to be related to mining operations, especially the slimes dams, and agriculture. Rehabilitation of dams and dumps, as well as surface water controls may help reduce these problems. Considering mine water problems discovered in the case studies, a newly-patented chemical treatment method is examined and tested for possible application in the mining industry. It is shown to be extremely effective for the removal of calcium from water, but less effective for the removal of iron and manganese. More broadly, this study shows the inter-dependence between mine water geochemistry and mine water management, and the need to be multi-disciplinary in approach. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mynwater, dit is aile soorte water wat geaffekteer en geassosieer word met mynbou bedrywighede, is moontlik die grootste rede tot kommer in omgewingsgeologie van mynbou. Hierdie studie stel ondersoek in na die verhouding tussen mynwater geochemie en mynwater bestuur. Die doelwitte van die studie is soos volg: 1. Om die hoof geochemiese prosesse te ondersoek wat mynwater beinvloed: 2. Om die nuwe nasionale water- en omgewingswette toe te pas op die mynboubedryf en te ondersoek hoe die bestuur van mynwater gereguleer sal word; 3. Om die benadering van Gerntegreerde Opvangs Bestuur ("Integrated Catchment Managemement") te ondersoek, en te ondersoek hoe hierdie benadering op die mynbou industrie toegepas kan word' 4. Om twee gevallestudies te doen, waar omgewingsgeochemie, algemene geochemie en multivariant analise gebruik word as middels om grondwater besoedeling in mynbougebiede te ondersoek, en daarvolgens om mynwater bestuurswysigings voor te stel; en 5. Om, nemende in ag die mynwater probleme wat ontdek is in die gevallestudies, 'n nuutgepatenteerde chemiese behandelingsmetode, vir moontlike toepassing in die mynbou industrie, te ontwikkel. Die veranderende regtelike raamwerk - hoofsaaklik die implementering van die Nasionale Waterwet (Wet No. 36 van 1998) en die Nasionale Omgewingsbestuur Wet (Wet No.1 07 van 1998) - lei daartoe dat 'n myn verantwoordelik moet wees om opmerklik skoner te word, verantwoordelikhede wat in die verlede maklik gergnoreer kon word maar wat nou te moeilik is om te ignoreer as gevolg van publieke uitroepe. Twee gevalle is ondersoek. In be ide studies word algemene geochemie en hidrogechemie, saam met faktoranalise, gebruik om die hoof kenmerke te bepaal in grondwaterchemie en die hoof bronne van besoedeling. Deur dit as basis te gebruik word bestuurswysigings voorgestel. In die eerste gevallestudie, Sishen Ystererts Myn in die Noordkaap, is drie kenmerkende samestellings qeidentitiseer in die grondwater: 'n skoon dolomitiese samestelling, en een elk van 'n myn en landbou gekontamineerde samestelling. Die omvang van nitraat en diesel kontaminasie word aangedui as geassosieerd met landbou, die gebruik van plofstowwe, mynwerkswinkels en depots. Oppervlak waterbeheer mag help om hierdie probleme te beheer. In die tweede gevallestudie, Wes Driefontein Goudmyn in die Ver Wesrand, is twee kenmerkende samestellings in die grondwater gerdentifiseer: 'n skoon dolomitiese samestelling en 'n samestelling geassosieer met kontaminasie van die myn. "Cluster" analise is gebruik om drie grondwatersones te identifiseer, die eerste een se chemie stem redelik ooreen met 'n skoon akwifer, die tweede een se chemie is bernvloed deur die myn en die derde se chernie is deur granite bemvloed. Kontaminasie word aangedui as geassosieer met mynboubedrywighede, veral die slikdamme, en landbou. Rehabilitasie van damme en afvalhope, asook oppervlak waterbeheer mag help om die probleem te verminder. Deur die mynwater probleme wat in die gevallestudies ontdek is in ag te neem, word 'n nuutgepatenteerde chemiese behandeling ondersoek en getoets vir moontlike toepassing in die mynboubedryf. Dit word aangewys as uiters effektief vir die verwydering van kalsium, maar minder effektief in die verwydering van yster en mangaan. In die algemeen, wys hierdie studie inter-afhanklikheid tussen mynwater geochemie en mynwater bestuur, en 'n behoefte aan 'n rnultidissiplinere benadering.