A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, 2015 / The minerals industry has in the last decade witnessed volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). The diamond industry has not been immune to these challenges. These challenges coincided with the decision of the diamond mining family in 2011 to opt out of De Beers after approximately a century of being in control by selling their 40 % stake to Anglo American plc (AA) which already had 45 % stake in De Beers. This transaction increased Anglo American plc‟s stake in De Beers to 85% thus joining venture with the Government of the Republic of Botswana (GRB) under an already existing entity called Debswana. Botswana has been hailed as a beacon of success and a model African state both politically and economically mainly due to its effective management of economic proceeds generated mainly through Debswana diamonds. Something that might be seen as a possible threat to this economic stability is the merger and acquisition (M&A) between the GRB and AA. As a result this study was conducted as a way of investigating any possible impacts of the partnership of GRB and AA on the Debswana diamond company through the M&A transaction that occurred in 2011. The study was restricted to the mining operations in order to assess Debswana‟s performance more meaningfully pre and post the acquisition of De Beers shares by AA. The mining activities from Debswana operations comprise of Letlhakane, Damtshaa, Orapa, Jwaneng and Morupule Coal mine. The study is focusing on the production statistics and financial analysis using stock market and financial ratios. These are discussed in detail to assess the possible impact of the merger on Debswana‟s performance. In addition to this, empirical evidence based on factors determining a firm‟s performance before and after acquisition or merger is also discussed, with further action of aligning determinants to the literature findings. The study‟s key findings were that there has been a significant reduction in AA‟s financial performance post-merger but Debswana‟s performance has been fairly consistent. This is probably due to the fact that the 3-year post merger window period may not be sufficient to observe sufficient changes in Debswana‟s performance. Further research can be conducted on the current AA‟s repositioning strategy that aims at divesting in other operations and focusing on others and its impact on Debswana over a much longer window period than 3 years. / M T 2016

With the growing awareness and urgency of sustainable business behavior, conducting environmental impact assessments is an important tool for companies to evaluate their impacts. However, the assessment tool has received critique over the last years, and seems not to accomplish its goal to assure a sustainable development and use of the environment. In this thesis, the possibility of integrating the concept of ecosystem services in an environmental impact assessment is investigated. The aim of this study was to create a theoretical framework that facilitates the decision making process of impact assessments with the dimension of ecosystem services. This research is based on an empirical analysis surrounding the environmental assessment of the Bunge Area on Gotland, Sweden by the Finnish mining company Nordkalk AB, together with the legal decision making process that derived from it. The theoretical framework was tested upon applicability, and resulted into providing information concerning the integration of ecosystem services on the environmental impact assessment.

The primary object of this dissertation is to investigate the training problem in the Kgalagadi gold (Kalgold} mining company, located some 40 km West of Mafikeng. The company is reported not to have trained most of its staff in the Metallurgy department since the majority union, National Union of Mine Workers (NUM), does not approve of the organisational training plan. The said training plan is perceived as an intervention that would not address the employees' training needs. Subsequently, the untrained employees are susceptible to workplace accidents characterised by poor work expertise. Nevertheless, the mentioned staff often face disciplinary charges for negligence or incapacity that could be linked to a lack of appropriate training. In effect, this study focuses on the training problem experienced by the company as well as disciplinary actions for incapacity related to little or no training. Not only that, but also shall it highlight the shortfall caused by absence of a training needs analysis and establish if this could lead to training that does not address the employees' training needs. The study also seeks to investigate whether management involves the Majority union, NUM, in drawing up the organisational training plan. Moreover, this dissertation will also look into the company's relationship with its SET A, the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA). Careful attention will be on the unclaimed skills development levies lost in the event Kalgold fails to train its staff within the context of the National Skills Development Framework of South Africa. / (M.Admin.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

There are numerous histories of the Victorian goldfields, individual digger�s experiences, and the digging community as a whole. By contrast, very little has been written about the early gold mining companies. This thesis seeks to address this dearth in part, with a longitudinal study of one of the leading gold mining companies in nineteenth-century Victoria. The Port Phillip and Colonial Gold Mining Company (�Port Phillip Company�) was one of many �gold bubble� companies formed in England during 1851-3 to undertake gold mining in Australia. Within a few years it was the only survivor of this episode of British corporate gold-fever. The thesis argues that the influence of Rivett Henry Bland, the company�s managing director, was instrumental in its success, particularly in its early years when faced with anti-company sentiment and unfavourable mining legislation. The company established a large-scale operation at Clunes in 1857, rapidly assuming a pre-eminent position in colonial gold mining with its superior technology and mining practices. Historians generally portray Australian gold mining operations as small, locally funded and inefficient, prior to British capital investment in the late 1880s. While true of the larger picture, this simply emphasises the uniqueness of the British-owned and funded Port Phillip Company, the largest and most efficient gold mining operation in Australia from 1857 until the early 1880s. The company and its investment offshoot, the Victoria (London) Mining Company, invested in over thirty Victorian gold mining companies during the 1860s. Again, this runs counter to the general view that British investment in Australian gold mining began only in the late 1880s. Although the two companies� investments equalled only a fraction of the later wave of British capital in absolute monetary terms, their contribution to the growth of the Victorian gold mining industry at the time was significant.

There are numerous histories of the Victorian goldfields, individual digger�s experiences, and the digging community as a whole. By contrast, very little has been written about the early gold mining companies. This thesis seeks to address this dearth in part, with a longitudinal study of one of the leading gold mining companies in nineteenth-century Victoria. The Port Phillip and Colonial Gold Mining Company (�Port Phillip Company�) was one of many �gold bubble� companies formed in England during 1851-3 to undertake gold mining in Australia. Within a few years it was the only survivor of this episode of British corporate gold-fever. The thesis argues that the influence of Rivett Henry Bland, the company�s managing director, was instrumental in its success, particularly in its early years when faced with anti-company sentiment and unfavourable mining legislation. The company established a large-scale operation at Clunes in 1857, rapidly assuming a pre-eminent position in colonial gold mining with its superior technology and mining practices. Historians generally portray Australian gold mining operations as small, locally funded and inefficient, prior to British capital investment in the late 1880s. While true of the larger picture, this simply emphasises the uniqueness of the British-owned and funded Port Phillip Company, the largest and most efficient gold mining operation in Australia from 1857 until the early 1880s. The company and its investment offshoot, the Victoria (London) Mining Company, invested in over thirty Victorian gold mining companies during the 1860s. Again, this runs counter to the general view that British investment in Australian gold mining began only in the late 1880s. Although the two companies� investments equalled only a fraction of the later wave of British capital in absolute monetary terms, their contribution to the growth of the Victorian gold mining industry at the time was significant.

This thesis examines how the Kamoro (also known as the Mimika) people of the south-west coast of Papua (former Irian Jaya), Indonesia have adapted to major political and economic changes over a long history of interactions with outsiders. More specifically, it is an ethnohistorical analysis of Kamoro strategies of engagement dating back to the seventeenth century, but focusing on the twentieth century. Taking ethnohistory to most generally refer to the investigation of the social and cultural distinctiveness of historical consciousness, this thesis examines how perceptions and activities of the past shape interpretations of the present. Though this thesis privileges Kamoro perspectives, it juxtaposes them against broader ethnohistorical analyses of the “outsiders” with whom they have interacted. For the Kamoro, amoko-kwere, narratives about the ancestral (and eternal) cultural heroes, underlie indigenous modes of historical consciousness which are ultimately grounded in forms of social reciprocity. One key characteristic of the amoko-kwere is the incorporation of foreign elements and their reformulation as products of indigenous agency. As a result of this reinterpretation expectations are raised concerning the exchange of foreign material wealth and abilities, both classified in the Kamoro language as kata. Foreign withholding of kata emerges as a dominant theme in amoko-kwere and is interpreted as theft, ultimately establishing relationships of negative reciprocity between the Kamoro and the powerful outsiders. These feelings are mirrored in contemporary Kamoro conceptions of their relationships with the Indonesian State and the massive PT Freeport Indonesia Mining Company who use a significant amount of Kamoro land for deposition of mining waste (tailings) and for the development of State and company infrastructure.

No description available.

M. Tech. (Department of Labour Relations Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / In the decade before 2005, South African organisations have had to cope with an ever-increasing rate of local and global changes. There have been considerable and ongoing socio-political changes, resulting from new Government regulations. Most organisations have experienced some type of downturn, whether due to external business factors or poor internal performance. A typical response to organisational decline is retrenchment. Retrenchment is attributed to cyclical downturns, market losses or other economic factors, which oblige the employer to reduce the labour force numbers. Though there are so many ways of responding to organisational failure, this study focused only on retrenchment. A number of psychologists and human sciences researchers have studied the results of job loss due to retrenchment. Retrenchment brings loss of skills, loss of morale and commitment, as well as physical and mental health degradation, including stress that results in employees withdrawing physically and emotionally. The main purpose of this study was to outline the employees’ perceptions of the effects of retrenchment on job stress and organisational commitment in a mining company. The research methodology used in this study is a combination of a literature review and an empirical study. The probability sampling technique, which entails using simple random sampling, was used to select the sample of the study. The primary data were collected using a questionnaire. The measuring instrument contained 43 items. The measuring instrument was pilot-tested with 50 respondents three weeks before the main survey; the questionnaire was self-administered to the participants. For the main survey, data from 294 respondents were collected and analysed. Participants in the study involved surface employees, including management, administrators, engineers and artisans. Data were analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the various sections of the measuring instrument were computed to establish construct validity. Content validity was ascertained by pre-testing the questionnaire with the employees in the mine in question. Correlations were used to establish convergent validity of the constructs. Convergent validity was assessed to measure the degree of linear association of variables using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Discriminant validity was achieved by using regression analysis to show items loaded onto different factors in various sections which had more than one factor. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics on the demographic information of respondents. The results were also interpreted through correlation and regression analysis. The results showed that the effects of retrenchment did not have a negative impact on job stress (time stress and anxiety). This may be due to the mine in question planning and consulting with the employees prior to the retrenchment process. The results also showed that job stress (time stress and anxiety) is negatively associated with organisational commitment. Subsequent to these findings, it is recommended that employees (survivors) be updated on their future in the company in question. This could be done through regular workshops and counselling of employees. In order to motivate and engage employees, and thereby contribute to employee commitment, it was also recommended that organisations create open, supportive and fair organisational and team cultures, and ensure jobs are clearly aligned with organisational goals and have appropriate levels of autonomy, support and career development. Given that job satisfaction plays a huge role in organisational commitment, it was further recommended that managers need to actively improve their organisation’s job satisfaction to employees in order to achieve a higher level of organisational commitment. The study concludes by recommending that communication between employees and management should take place on a regular basis which can serve as a fundamental tool to retrenchment in the following manner:  Survivors will feel more committed to the organisation when the basis of retrenchment addresses the circumstances in the external environment, rather than the enrichment of shareholders or top management.  Communicating a clear vision of how retrenchment will benefit stakeholders, increases commitment since survivors can see a clear future for the organisation.  When survivors are treated with dignity and respect, they will feel more committed to the organisation because they feel appreciated.

Although the mining industry contributed to the development of the country by providing infrastructure and employment, it left a negative impact on the environment. To this end, various pieces of law were promulgated to limit environmental damage and hold those who pollute (Mining Companies / licensees) accountable. This research focused on two study sites namely Blyvooruitzicht and Grootvlei gold mines. Both mines underwent forced mine closure and their environmental liabilities remained unresolved. This study focused on important laws governing the South African gold mining sector, to form an understanding of these laws and to establish if these laws protect the environment sufficiently or not. The study included an overview of the current relevant legislative framework regarding mines, with the aim of identifying if there were gaps between Mining law, Company law, B-BBEE law (Equity Law) and Environmental law. This included an exploration of the interrelationships between the various pieces of legislation and the challenges relating to compliance and enforcement of these mentioned laws. Further to this, the research study investigated the requirements and responsibilities of the South African State, and directors of mining companies. The finding was that South African law with respect to mining companies needs minor adjustments, but the crux of the problem is a lack of effective implementation and enforcement by the State. There is ineffective administration of environmental quality control by the various designated National Government Departments. Recommendations made include the need for clear monitoring of compliance and enforcement of the environmental regulatory framework if there is to be successful mine closure in South Africa. In addition, the South African State Government could consider incentivizing compliance, that is, reward mining companies who uphold environmental law. Further to this the thesis suggest the elimination of any contradictions between the various legislations within the mining industry and stipulates that legislation must be read in conjunction with one-another if a robust legislative framework is to exist. / Environmental Sciences / M.Sc. (Environmental Science)

Ce mémoire de maîtrise traite d’un phénomène qui a gagné en importance dans les études sur l’Amérique latine : l’exploitation des ressources naturelles par des compagnies étrangères et l’augmentation des mouvements de résistance des populations locales contre l’implantation de ces compagnies. Délaissant l’accent généralement placé sur la naissance de ces mouvements, les impacts du temps sur les transformations du phénomène de résistance sont mesurés et analysés. Le cas de la compagnie minière canadienne Goldcorp Inc., exploitant de l’or dans la vallée de Siria, au Honduras, illustre à merveille les diverses techniques utilisées lors d’une lutte de longue haleine par une population rurale désirant résister à une compagnie transnationale au capital économique, politique et scientifique plus important. Ainsi, les dynamiques du mouvement de résistance soulignent des changements dans sa forme première à la suite de l’intrusion de nouveaux acteurs locaux et internationaux. Des identités, construites avec l’arrivée de la mine, sont aussi en jeu chez les groupes qui s’affrontent dans la région. L’étude d’un mouvement vers la fin de sa vie indique, de plus, le besoin de redéfinir la résistance et de sortir d’un schème purement actif vers un qui inclut aussi l’aspect discursif et moral dans sa définition. / This research deals with a phenomenon growing in interest in Latin American studies: natural resources exploitation from foreign companies and the growth of local resistance movements against the implementation of these companies. Going away from the general emphasis put on the birth of these movements, transformations due to the impact of time are instead measured and analyzed. The specific case of Goldcorp Inc. a Canadian mining company exploiting gold in the Siria Valley, Honduras, illustrates perfectly many tactics used by a rural population in an extensive battle and who wishes to resist to a multinational company that have more social, economic and politic power. Therefore, the resistance movement’s dynamics illustrate the changes in its primary form after the arrival of new local and international actors. Identities, build with the beginning of the mining exploitation, are also in play within the groups that are clashing in the region. Moreover, the study of a movement close to the end of its life demonstrate the need to redefine the notion of resistance in order to move away from the purely active form of it and include as well the discursive and moral aspects in its definition.