MCSA announces 10 Women in Mining Heroes!

Women in mining Covid-19 heroes recognised! 

The Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA) Women in Mining Leadership Forum has announced 10 Covid-19 Women in Mining Heroes, as part of the Minerals Council’s drive to shine a spotlight on the work done by women in the South African mining industry. 

The Women in Mining Leadership Forum was established to enhance the representation and development of women in the mining industry, to achieve the ambition of equal representation of women by addressing the leadership commitment to gender diversity inclusion, as well as the attraction, retention and development of women in mining.

Says Minerals Council Leadership Forum Chair, Nolitha Fakude, “While we know that there have been many men working tirelessly during the pandemic, and recognise their commitment and efforts, the focus of the Women in Mining Task Team is to recognise the unsung heroes of the mining industry – those whose work and efforts so often happen anonymously, and who go unacknowledged. Given the history of the industry, those unsung heroes have all too often been women.” 

The nominations process for the Covid Heroes initiative allowed all Minerals Council member companies to nominate employees who had gone above and beyond the call of duty in responding to the wide range of challenges that the pandemic has resulted in for companies, employees, communities, families and individuals. 

In response to the call for nominations, 77 people working across disciplines from health and safety to communications, logistics and support services were nominated by 24 member companies. 

All nominations provided detail explaining why the nominated individual was considered a Covid-19 Hero – and these forms were then submitted to the Women in mining selection panel, who assessed each nominee on the basis of her leadership, her sacrifice and her support for others. The Women in Mining Leadership Forum wants to emphasise that every nominees is a Covid-19 Hero in her own right, having stood up in response to an unprecedented global pandemic and made a real difference in the lives of those around her.  

Ultimately, the selection team identified ten women who are our Women in Mining COVID-19 Heroes. They are, 1:Dr Bafedile Chauke-Moagi, Vice President-Health Group Sustainability, AngloGold Ashanti, 2: Dr Duduzile Sibeko, Unit Manager for Health and Wellness in the Gold Division, Sibanye-Stillwater, 3: Gaynor Kast, communications specialist, South32 Hillside Aluminium. 

4: Khosi Kubheka, Occupational Health nurse, Seriti Coal New Denmark, 5: Lee-Ann Samuel, Group Executive: People, Impala Platinum, 6: Dr Mpho Moloi, Occupational Medical Practitioner, Petra Diamonds Fisch Mine, 7: Nadine Jacobs, Centralised Services Division’s Safety and Sustainable Development Reporting Coordinator, Anglo American Coal. 

8: Dr Thulisile Ngwenya, Medical Service Manager, Anglo American Coal Highveld Hospital, 9: Dr Tumi Legobye, Executive for Health, Harmony & 10: Yogen Chetty, HSE Operations Manager, South32 Africa. Says Minerals Council CEO Roger Baxter, “I want to congratulate our ten Heroes, and also acknowledge the sterling work done by our colleagues across the South African Mining industry to deal with the challenge of Covid-19. 

I also want to urge all Minerals Council Member companies to remember that, while we celebrate events like these, we need to keep our Women in Mining strategy at the forefront of our minds and our work every day”