Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gold mining in South Africa is an industry that is more than a century old. The impact of gold
mines on communities and the environment are enormous. This thesis is a case study based
in one of the major gold producers in South Africa that has been in operation for more than
50 years and has more than 30 years of life still left. Exploring the impact mining has had on
communities and the environment, this thesis is a call for leadership action towards
sustainable futures. This call is made through a suggested sustainable development
leadership framework. Georgius Agricola gave a warning regarding the devastating environmental impacts of
mining as early as 1556, however mining still has the same negative impacts to the
environment and people. The argument in this thesis is that, it is only through genuine
leadership that the impacts of mining can be mitigated. However leadership is looked at not
from the position of the leader or the leadership style but from the belief system of the
leader when it comes to environmental management and community development.
The motivation for the study was based in observing how leadership at our Gold mine rallied
behind prevention of mine closure when the mine was faced with electricity crisis in 2008.
The electricity crisis demonstrated that it is through genuine and committed leadership that
all challenges can be overcome including sustainable development crisis. The call for
leadership at our mine is to demonstrate the same leadership commitment in addressing
environmental and community development challenges.
The literature review begins by highlighting sustainable development global challenges and
initiatives to address them. This is followed by impacts of gold mining on society and the environment around the various regions of the world. Leadership belief systems are then
discussed, highlighting, how belief systems influence the way a leader responds to
environmental issues.
In developing the sustainable development leadership framework findings from
observations, conversations, interviews and focus group discussion that were conducted
throughout the mine are presented. The aim of the research was to determine the
understanding of employees on the impact of our company on communities, environment
and themselves and also the employees’ opinions of leadership.
The findings were that the majority of employees believe that leadership is not genuine in
addressing community, employee safety and health, and environmental issues at our
company and through interviews with leadership, the findings are that, environment and
community issues are done for compliance and reputation purposes with no genuine belief
that they should be done.
To address this understanding a call to leadership is made through a suggested sustainable
development leadership framework that takes into consideration the findings from the case
study. The thesis ends by proposing that this suggested framework should be tested further
within our company. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Goud mynbou in Suid-Afrika is 'n bedryf wat meer as 'n eeu oud is. Die impak van goudmyne
op gemeenskappe en die omgewing is enorm. Hierdie proefskrif is 'n gevallestudie wat
gebaseer is op een van die groot goudprodusente in Suid-Afrika wat al vir meer as 50 jaar
reeds in werking is en wat 'n veredere lewensverwagting van meer as 30 jaar het. Hierdie
tesis is 'n ondersoek na die impak wat mynbou op die omliggende gemeenskappe en
omgewing het asook 'n beroep om leieskap optrede vir volhoubare ontwikkeling. Hierdie
beroep vir volhoubare ontwikkeling word gemaak deur middel van 'n volhoubare
ontwikkeling leierskap raamwerk.
Georgius Agricola het alreeds in 1556 gewaarsku teen die impak wat mynbou op die
omgewing en mense sou hê. Vandag het mynbou het egter nog steeds dieselfde negatiewe
impak op die omgewing en die mense. Die argument in hierdie tesis is dat dit slegs deur
ware leierskap is dat die impak van mynbou versag kan word. Leierskap word egter nie
bekyk uit die posisie van die leier of die leierskap-styl nie, maar eerder uit die gewetens
oortuiging oogpunt van die leier wanneer dit kom by omgewingsbestuur en ontwikkeling
van die gemeenskap.
Die motivering vir hierdie studie is gebaseer op die waarneming van hoe leierskap by ons
goudmyn mynsluiting voorkom het gedurende die 2008 elektrisiteitskrisis. Die
elektrisiteitskrisis het getoon dat uitdagings sowel as volhoubare ontwikkelings krisisse wel
deur ware en toegewyde leierskap oorkom kan word. Die versoek is nou vir ons myn om
dieselfde leierskap toewyding toe te pas waar omgewing en gemeenskap ontwikkelings
uitdagings aangepak word.
Die literatuur oorsig begin deur die globale uitdagings op volhoubare ontwikkeling onder die
vergrootglas te plaas en wys hoe om die uitdagings te addresseer. Dan volg die impak wat
die goudmynbedryf het op die omgewing en samelewing van verskeie streke in die wêreld.
Leierskap geloof oortuiging word dan bespreek met die klem op hoe geloofsoortuiging 'n
invloed het op die manier wat 'n leier reageer op omgewings kwessies. Die ontwikkeling van die volhoubare ontwikkelings raamwerk is gebasser op obserwasies,
gesprekke, onderhoude en fokusgroepsbesprekings van regoor die myn. Die doel van die
navorsing was om die begrip van die werknemers te bepaal aangaande die impak wat ons
maatskappy het op die gemeenskap, omgewing en hulself en ook om die werknemers se
opinies van leierskap te bepaal.
Die bevindinge was dat die meerderheid van die werknemers van mening is dat leierskap by
ons maatskappy nie opreg is wanneer dit kom by aanspreek van gemeenskap kwessies,
werknemer veiligheid en gesondheid, en omgewingskwessies nie. Deur middel van
onderhoude met die leiers van ons maatskappy is ook bevind dat die omgewing en die
gemeenskaps kwessies slegs aandag geniet aangesien dit vir die nakoming van vereistes en
reputasiedoeleindes verys word en nie as gevolg van 'n werklike oortuiging dat dit gedoen
moet word nie.
Om hierdie begrip aan te spreek word 'n beroep gemaak tot leierskap deur middel van
hierdie voorgestelde volhoubare ontwikkeling leierskap raamwerk wat die bevindings van
die gevallestudie in ag neem. Die tesis eindig deur voor te stel dat hierdie voorgestelde
raamwerk verder getoets moet word in ons maatskappy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/18013 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Makuluma, Hlombe Azukile |
| Contributors | Annecke, Eve, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
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