IN THE STOPE •

After a long and illustrious career , Prof Fred Cawood has retired as director of the Wits Mining Institute . Leon Louw interviewed him one last time .

Prof Cawood , you had a long and distinctive career at Wits . Can you name two or three specific highlights that stood out for you during this time ? The main highlight for me was always the opportunity to work with young people . Working with students comes with responsibility , and this is not only academic . It is also the responsibility to allow students to make mistakes in a safe environment where learning can take place , to teach them in no uncertain terms where the boundaries are , and to instil a value system in them that aligns with that of the sector they will work in .

Other highlights were the opportunity to be head of school , and to be director of an exciting research institute – the Wits Mining Institute ; but these were secondary to working with the next generation of industry leaders .

You have been actively involved in the mining industry for even longer . What , would you say , were special moments that changed the trajectory of the South African mining industry during this time ? The mining industry today is much cleaner and safer than when I started my career . In South Africa , a lot has to do with the Mine Health and Safety Act , and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act . Although aspects of these laws are often criticised , there is wide acknowledgement of their positive impact – firstly , in minimising mine health and safety risks , and secondly , in terms of integrating economic , social , and environmental requirements with the mineral licensing system . This would not have happened without the advent of democracy in South Africa , which was a special moment and particularly good fortune that it happened during my career .

When , in your view , did the South African mining industry experience its worst times and biggest crisis , and how did the industry manage to overcome those challenges ? The mining industry is used to both hard times and good times . The difference between the good and the bad is generally the result of commodity price cycles . The mid-1990s were particularly hard because of a ‘ double whammy ’ of low commodity prices and political change in South Africa .

There was a transitional government which had to implement the newly elected ANC ’ s Reconstruction and Development Plan . The sector had historically operated with private mineral rights ownership as a fundamental principle , and this could not be reconciled with the objectives of the RDP for mining .

I was fortunate to be part of the policy workshops and witnessed first-hand the extreme policy positions that were held but also the will to make things work . There were many CODESA-like moments at the workshops but in the end , all parties had South Africa ’ s best interests at heart . This led to a new policy and legal framework for mining that at the time successfully balanced the country ’ s reality with international leading practice .

Wits

Prof Fred Cawood , retired director of the Wits Mining Institute .

What major challenges does the South African mining industry face today , and how do you suggest we overcome these difficulties ? Ironically , the ground-breaking law and policy regime that I referred to earlier is now our biggest challenge . There can be many reasons for this , including the way that the laws have been implemented , and the way they are administered today . Of course , one can always do better from an implementation perspective , but insufficient preparation went into developing the skills for the effective implementation and administration of a complex policy and legal framework .