Issue 2 July 2015

Copyright RBM ©

Dear ReadersWith Youth Month just

behind us, it was time to reflect on the young people in our communities and I am encouraged by the enormous potential they demonstrate.

It is interesting to note that Africa is the “youngest” continent, with more than 65% of the population below the age of 35. I can only imagine what the youth can

do to achieve Agenda 63 which seeks to create the Africa we want; and investing in the youth is the best thing we can do for the continent. The world will be looking to Africa for employees, technical solutions, medicine, other goods and services.

In South Africa, recent statistics show that more than half our population is under the age of 25.

They are a generation born into the digital world; they are curious and more confident in their interaction with others and with technology. They are driven to succeed and are often more mature in their approach.

However, with a growing unemployment rate in South Africa, many young people are frustrated because they are not able to participate in the country’s economy. This is often as a result of poor schooling and a lack of proper vocational training.

Through a collective and collaborative response from government, business and civil society, we must develop a generation of innovative and entrepreneurial thinkers, motivated to take responsibility for their futures.

At RBM we see the potential that exists in this generation and, in this issue we share with you a number of ways that we seek to unlock that potential through just a few of our training and development initiatives.

Until next time, be safe and take care.

We would like to hear from you, please send any thoughts or comments to communication@rbm.co.za

Mpho Mothoa Managing Director

Foreword

The high employment levels in local communities are placing a heavy burden on families and individuals. The drive by Richards Bay Minerals to empower members of its four host communities with basic portable skills helps to alleviate this misfortune by making people more employable or even giving them the means to start their own small business.

In May, RBM sponsored a week-long course for candidates from Kwa-Mkhwanazi, Kwa-Dube, Kwa-Mbonambi and Kwa-Sokhulu who received training in general labour and flagmen skills at Bhekwell Training Centre in Alton, Richards Bay. The group of men and women were proudly showing off their Bhekwell PPE while some hinted that they hope the next time they wear protective clothing it will be for a real job.

The training opportunity was advertised through the Traditional Authorities. Bheki Dlamini, managing director of the Bhekwell Training Centre, says he was encouraged by how this group was eager to learn, always on time and had a positive attitude towards the training programme.

Bongumusa Mthethwa is one of the successful candidates. He is one of seven children and all of them, as well as their parents, are unemployed. It is understandably important for him to get work and he says this opportunity will equip him with skills that he can take into the job market. Philisiwe Mabika says this training could change her life for the better. She, too, lives with her father, a younger brother and her three children in a house with no income. Makhosi Ntshangase feels more equipped for the working world and says: “The training has taught me a lot about safety, being on the lookout for risks and being empowered with basic skills in First Aid.”

Each trainee received a stipend to enable them to travel to the centre, as well as have money for lunch and other essentials. “The amount is aligned with what the Department of Labour and the SETA proposes for learnerships of this kind,” explains Dlamini.

In the last year, RBM has trained a total of 87 candidates in construction skills. In preparation for the construction at Zulti South, RBM is planning to train another 380 unemployed youth from local communities with construction and other skills.

Local community members underwent a week long training course in general labour and flagmen skills at Bhekwell Training Centre

Feature

Building skills, building communities

- Simon Shabangu profile- Building a brighter future- Youth Month: Continuing the struggle- Youthful artisan trainees positive about the future- Hand Skills Training- DramAide empowers youth to make life-changing choices- In the News - RBM Gallery

Copyright RBM ©

In this Youth Month, it is appropriate that the small business we have chosen to profile for this edition is owned by four young people from Sokhulu.

Zakhele Khumalo Building & Civil Construction CC was founded by Zakhele Khumalo in 2010. Three years later, he realised that his company was being exposed to an increasing number of opportunities but he could only take advantage of these if he added certain services. To achieve this, he had to add various skills to his team, so he approached three other young men from his community to join him and Zenzele Khumalo, Simakade Sithole and Welcome Mfekayi became members of the CC. Not long afterwards, the company was awarded a servitude maintenance contract by RBM and started operating on site in 2014.

Khumalo tells us that initially the company was registered to focus on construction, however, when they were awarded the servitude cleaning contract, they regarded it as a base for future growth and are giving it their undivided attention. “As members we also believe that we now have enough capacity to take on new opportunities in the construction sector, with some of our employees already having qualifications in civil engineering and welding,” says Khumalo.

The company established their presence on site at RBM with seven employees in 2014. Unfortunately, this number has since been reduced to five employees due to cost cutting measures at the company. Mr Khumalo shares that it was a solemn time for the company when the retrenchment process was undertaken but, as with any business, they have had to learn to operate safely and with increased efficiency within the newly established parameters. “We are still hopeful that the situation will turn around and we will be able to re-employ the employees we had to retrench,” he says.

The company owns a 4x 4 vehicle and a trailer, as per the RBM contractor requirements and this is used to transport both employees and equipment safely to their working area. The company is compliant to RBM standards and procedures thanks to RBM’s procurement and technical service teams. “These departments have played a major role in assisting the company to be where it is today,” explains Khumalo.

Zakhele Khumalo Building & Civil Construction is a participant in the BDC’s Sakhisizwe Supplier Development Programme (SSDP). Khumalo says, however, that he doesn’t believe they have yet had the chance to test the knowledge obtained from the training and workshops in the SSDP. “We are focussed on opportunities with RBM in construction - as our name suggests – and this is where we believe the skills we have learnt will be applied, including all the information on safety, financials and compliance.”

Simon Shabangu, a specialist on impact and resettlement on RBM’s Zulti South Project, is a quiet man committed to making a difference within the local communities.

Born and raised in the Free State town of Frankfort, Simon started his career with Sappi in 1999 as a silviculture* specialist. In 2003 he joined RBM as part of the Rehabilitation team and spent 10 years in that department working on the restoration of the coastal dunes.

Simon says he has always had a passion for working with communities and when an opportunity arose to join the dedicated Communities’ team in RBM, he jumped at it. His work involves ongoing engagement with members of the Dube and Mkhwanazi communities who will be most affected by the extended RBM operations at Zulti South. Some community members will be relocated from their existing homes and settled in new houses; some may have the graves of relatives moved while others may have the fields they use for growing crops relocated. As part of his broader role, Simon has monthly meetings with the affected communities to provide feedback and inform them on the progress that is being made on the Zulti South project.

The Resettlement team is also responsible for negotiating agreements on compensation for the families affected by the Zulti South project. Simon says the team is proud that it has managed to achieve the stringent standards set by Rio Tinto for resettling communities and has also managed to comply with the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Environmental and Social Performance Standards. These guidelines are considered best practice for an involuntary resettlement process aimed at ensuring the improvement of living standards of affected people.

For Simon, it is essential that the work he does adds meaning to the lives of others. He says he was touched when an elderly woman in the community who is to be relocated expressed her excitement when she was shown the house she will move into. Simon is married with five children and spends a lot of his weekends with his family. * Silviculture is the practise of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health and quality of forests.

Simon Shabangu profile

Building a brighter future

Issue 2 July 2015

The Zakhele Khumalo Building & Civil Construction team that has a servitude cleaning contract from RBM in the Sokhulu are. From left to right they are: Sandile Mthembu, Senzo Mthiyane, Zenzele Khumalo (one of the main members), Golden Sigwaza and Bheki Mbuyazi

Youth Month: Continuing the struggleThe month of June has become well known in South Africa as Youth

Month. On 16 June we reflect on the Soweto uprisings of 1976 and acknowledge the significant role played by the youth in the struggle for liberation. However, it is also a time for the nation to focus on the challenges faced by young people today. These difficulties may be different to those that inspired the young people to rise up and fight almost 40 years ago but they are no less daunting.

Today’s youth are faced with unemployment, poverty, disease, crime and substance abuse. Probably the most concerning of these is the issue of unemployment. Recent studies show that more than 40% of young people in South Africa between the ages of 18 and 29 are unemployed. High youth unemployment often comes as a result of a lack of skills and experience which works against young jobseekers. There is also a mismatch in the skills that young people take from the education system versus what is demanded by the labour market. Young people are often left to their own devices when it comes to study and career choices which leads to uninformed decisions and wasted time, energy and money.

The government is certainly driven to improve the lives of South Africa’s young people with a number of initiatives aimed at increasing skills development and employment opportunities. However, this is not a task that can be taken on by government alone and the private sector has a critical role to play. It is for this reason that Richards Bay Minerals has been steadfast in its drive to empower young people from its four host communities.

Addressing some of the legacy issues that are still evident in the education system has to be an important starting point. RBM has made significant investments in upgrading school facilities over the years but the commitment has to go deeper to address the skills of administrators, educators and learners alike.

The Bambisanani Learning Community Programme (BLCP), RBM’s flagship education initiative, is a perfect example of how an integrated approach to enhancing the maths and science skills of local learners can result in an increasing number of young people who have a chance to study at a tertiary institution of their choice to ensure a better life. RBM sponsored 11 matriculants with study grants to register at universities at the beginning of 2015.

The mining company also partners with local training institutions to provide local youth with building and general construction skills. RBM has also enrolled 21 youth for N2 engineering to prepare them for possible apprenticeship training later in their careers and 12 youth will start with an apprenticeship programme in the electrical field through Umfolozi College and the Construction SETA. In addition, 48 youth are currently studying towards a three-year National Certificate Vocational in a range of scarce skills fields. The training is aimed at providing young people with skills that they can offer the job market.

Mariette Visser, Manager Education at RBM, says the company is encouraged by the progress made by young people who are part of its various programmes. Visser says even though it is not possible to reach and help everyone, she believes the company’s efforts are bearing fruit.

Issue 2 July 2015

On 16 June we reflect on the Soweto uprisings of 1976 and acknowledge the significant role played by the youth in the struggle for liberation.

Copyright RBM ©

As part of its drive to empower youth in its four host communities of Kwa-Mbonambi, Kwa-Dube, Kwa-Sokhulu, and Kwa-Mkhwanazi, RBM took in 25 candidates for its hand skills training programme for 2015. The programme is aimed at providing unemployed youth with an opportunity to gain much needed skills and a possible kick-start to careers as artisans.

RBM advertised the learnerships through the four Traditional Councils and local youth who met the requirement of having at least an N2 technical qualification could apply for the opportunity. The selection process was rigorous: applicants were interviewed and underwent assessments to determine basic mathematical and technical skills before the final 25 were chosen. The successful candidates had to undergo a medical and complete safety training before the programme started. The candidates are exposed to working in RBM’s engineering department.

The first three weeks focused the candidates on skills such as identifying tools and materials they would encounter in the workplace and how to use them safely. For the next nine weeks, the candidates are allocated to various parts of the plant where they shadow experienced artisans. Supervisors in those sections help to monitor, guide and asses them.

Hendrik Dewinnaar, Head of Technical Training at RBM, said it was fulfilling for his team to work with a group of energetic, enthusiastic and bright young people from local communities. “The training gives us a chance to assess the candidates on technical skills and attitude before making a decision on possibly placing them with RBM.”

The three month programme started on 1 April and will be completed at the end of June.

Issue 2 July 2015

Youthful artisan trainees positive about the future

Three young candidates currently undergoing Hand Skills training at RBM as part of their quest to become artisans shared their differing stories of how they made the final cut of 25 trainees out of 260 applicants.

The three, Sipho Khoza and Mduduzi Mthembu from Sokhulu and Chris Mbuyazi from Mbonambi, passed matric in 2012. Mthembu and Khoza were helped by RBM to register for electrical engineering courses at Richtek, doing N1 and N2 in 2013 and N3 and N4 in 2014. Mbuyazi stayed at home for a year in 2013, only doing his N1 and N2 at Richtek in 2014.

All three young men faced various challenges in their efforts to get to this point. Mthembu and Khosa’s families could not afford to send them to school after matric. The offer of a bursary from RBM was a welcome relief for both.

Even applying for the Hand Skills Training programme had its obstacles. On the days that he had to come in for assessments or interviews, Mthembu had to ask his grandmother, uncle or neighbours

for money for transport. Facing a similar challenge, Mbuyazi asked a friend to drop him off at RBM for the interview and was let down at the last minute.

He changed into his shorts, running shoes and ran 6km to RBM so that he did not miss the opportunity. Ironically, he nearly missed out again when he was called in for a medical as his cell phone was broken.

Mthembu, Khoza and Mbuyazi are all on a three-month probation period at RBM and they are looking forward to hopefully securing permanent positions at the company. Having now been exposed to the world of work, though, they acknowledge that there is no limit to how much you can learn and all agree that they want to continue with their studies by adding other trades to the ones they have. “Nothing is impossible when you set your mind to giving your best,” says Khoza.

They are all grateful for the opportunity RBM has given them, and especially the encouragement and guidance from Mariette Visser.

Three of the successful candidates currently undergoing Hand Skills Training at RBM: (from left to right) Mdudzi Mthembu, Chris Mbuyazi and Sipho Khoza

Hand Skills Training

Copyright RBM ©

Issue 2 July 2015

DramAide empowers youth to make life-changing choices

DramAide is a community engagement programme started by the Department of Speech and Drama at the University of Zululand and funded by RBM. The programme has made great strides in empowering youth in local communities with life skills and self-awareness.

Smangele Myeza, Project Development Community Facilitator, is responsible for rolling out the programme in Mbonambi 1st section and her colleague, Muzi Mdletshe, focuses on the 2nd section. Sokhulu is handled by Sibusiso Mhlongo. Myeza is passionate about her work and tells us that what makes it all worthwhile is when young women, who are now professionals or students at tertiary institutions, tell her how the programme helped give them confidence and enhanced their goal setting skills.

The DramAide programme starts at primary school level and targets young girls in particular. The aim is to equip them with information about HIV/Aids and teenage pregnancy so that they make informed life choices and have a real chance at a career. “We teach the youth, particularly girls, to become assertive and equip them with skills to enable them to stand their ground and learn to say no emphatically,” shares Myeza.

The programme uses drama to drive its messages about the power of being assertive and making smart choices when faced with peer pressure. Myeza says the puppet shows have proven to be very popular with children in lower grades.

Often, the biggest challenge for the programme is that what they teach is at odds with local traditional and cultural norms. DramAide conducts surveys in communities before a play is staged. “It is important for us to understand burning issues within the community and our work is guided by what the survey reveals,” explains Myeza.

The DramAide model is one wherein a tripartite relationship between teachers, parents and children is encouraged, each with a role and responsibility in the development of well-rounded youth.

Myeza says she and her colleagues feel honoured to be able to empower and transform so many lives. Her message to young people struggling with their confidence is for them to put themselves first.

DramAide mobilises the youth through positive community events and the use of drama to convey important messages

In the News

Copyright RBM ©

A team from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) visited RBM recently to further strengthen relations between the company and this government department. The

engagement session touched on various topics, including local economic development projects and possible support for our SMME and co-op initiatives.

The Mfolozi Municipality, RBM, Uthungulu and community volunteers embarked on a clean-up campaign on the Nzalabantu beach access road recently.  This clean-up campaign was attended

by a number of dignitaries, including the MEC of Sport, Art and Culture in KwaZulu-Natal, Ms Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha.

(Above) Stephane Leblanc (back row, second from right), along with RBM colleagues, was introduced to four host community leaders at RBM in May. The purpose of the meeting was to

give this important group of stakeholders an update on the business in the context of the Rio Tinto Group.

(Top left) As part of RBM’s Eco-Schools project, the company has teamed up with Project Rhino KZN and is rolling out the Project Rhino campaign in local schools. The aim of the project is to

raise awareness around rhino poaching and the need to conserve our biodiversity.

(Left) The National Police Minister, Mr Nathi Nhleko, visited RBM in May. This was a follow up to an engagement session RBM had with the Provincial Commissioner earlier this year. The

purpose of the visit was to do an on-loco inspection of RBM hot spot crime areas and discuss the issue around cable and diesel theft.

Issue 2 July 2015