Page 64 - 25 Reasons

By Gayle Edmunds
or Themba Mkhwanazi, the CEO of Anglo
American’s South African iron ore business
FKumba Iron Ore, keeping the promise the
company makes to the families of its employees is
his top priority.
Kumba Iron Ore has been fatality-free for three
years and, when you visit their offices, there are
visible safety protocols in place – for example,
everyone who enters one of their sites, even
the corporate offices in Centurion, takes a
breathalyser test.
“When people are hurt or when we have
fatalities, that’s not just a person – for me, it’s an
ancestry that’s been around for generations, but it’s
also a descendancy that’s going to go for many
years to come and, when you then think of every
single one of us and the role we play in our
families, for our kids and even in our communities
… it is incumbent on us, particularly as leaders, to
ensure that everybody goes home safely.
“My mantra is that the result you get is a
reflection of your leadership and, therefore, when Themba Mkhwanazi, CEO of Anglo American’s South African iron ore business, Kumba Iron
you start to think about it in that light, you take Ore PHOTO: LEON SADIKI
total accountability – no excuses – and you work
passionately and drive it passionately to ensure you
achieve zero harm, and it is achievable. It is not UNEARTHING
easy – there are all sorts of challenges along the
way – but it’s that covenant that we have, an
unwritten code that says: ‘I give you my loved
ones, but I expect you to look after them and A LEGACY
return them safely.’”
To fulfil its goals of continuing to impact
positively on its host communities and the larger
South African economic project, Kumba Iron Ore is IN NUMBERS responsible; we have to be considerate in terms of
also working towards improving its per ton margin, our approach, and we have to work with all our
which means that, in this cyclical industry, it can stakeholders to really determine what it means for
withstand the busts and capitalise on the booms. It us and how we do it. That is the commitment –
can also do what is most important – make a profit R3bn we take our people along with us. The beauty of it
so it can live its purpose of reimagining mining to is that the quality of the jobs has increased.”
improve people’s lives. THE AMOUNT KUMBA IRON ORE A great example is at Kolomela iron ore mine,
Mkhwanazi’s team is also working hard to HAS ALLOCATED TO SPEND ON where the drills have been automated and the
achieve their strategic ambition of extending the LOCAL PROCUREMENT IN 2020 operators now manage them from the safety of a
life of their mines from the current 14 years to control room far from the rock face.
beyond 20 years. This is also important for them as Kumba Iron Ore benefited 267 businesses which
they will be able to continue to add jobs and 3 created 2 700 jobs and provided income for over
opportunities in the Northern Cape, where the 16 000 people in 2018. This is in line with Anglo
company operates. THE NUMBER OF YEARS American’s aspiration to create three jobs for every
“We play a big role in South Africa and in the KUMBA IRON ORE HAS one permanent onsite job by 2025. Over the past
Northern Cape. We want to continue to play a big three years, Kumba has consistently surpassed its
role in the prosperity of the community and in the BEEN FATALITY-FREE allocated targeted spend on local procurement
country at large, which is why the life of a mine is from R500m to R528m in 2017, and R1 billion to
important. As an industry, and certainly among the 20 R1.4bn in 2018. Furthermore, Kumba has allocated
bigger players, we are moving in the right direction an ambitious budget of R2bn and R3bn in 2019
around concepts such as shared value and the THE NUMBER OF YEARS KUMBA and 2020 respectively. Mkhwanazi is confident the
realisation that we impact on the communities that IRON ORE HOPES TO KEEP company will surpass the target as it continues to
we operate in, so we have to make sure that long, empower the economies of its host communities.
long after we have gone, we leave a lasting legacy,” ITS MINES OPERATING, “Communities are thriving as a consequence of
Mkhwanazi says. UP FROM 14 YEARS people being employed by us and the differences
“I believe the best example of a legacy that that it makes. When our employees come to me
mining has left anywhere in the world is the city of Clearly, it has different implications for different and say things like: ‘Because I am employed here, I
Johannesburg, because it came about as a parts of the world, but we have to modernise. have had such a significant impact on my family
consequence of mining – and there’s no other Mark [Cutifani, Anglo American’s chief executive] and will continue to do so for generations to come.’
example, not that I am aware of, so mining has likes to say, to get a ton of ore, you have to move It is about making that difference and it’s not just
been shown to be impactful and significant.” 16 times the volume of rock, use 16 times the about our communities, it’s global.”
High on Anglo American’s list of priorities is not energy and double the amount of water compared So, if you are reading this article while stirring
only making mining safer, but also less damaging to 100 years ago. What that means is we have to your morning coffee, your teaspoon probably has
to the environment so that the effects of the focus more on precision mining and, to be able to Kumba’s iron ore in it; so do your pots and pans,
climate crisis can be mitigated. do that, we need the technology. possibly the car you drive and even the structure
“For the industry to survive, it has to modernise. “Our view as a company is that we have to be holding up your house.
64 ANGLO AMERICAN 25 REASONS TO BELIEVE