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energy that are environmentally
friendly is gaining momentum. As
a result, it is very likely that the coal
mining industry will be disrupted.
Automation can extend the length of working shifts,
which have for many years been eroded by increased
travelling time to get underground.
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Increased level of unionism;
Policy uncertainty;
Increased labour cost;
More pressure from the Department
of Mineral Resources (DMR) to
comply with health and safety;
More pressure to comply
with the Mining Charter;
Lack of skill set to deal with
increasing technology; and
Fluctuations in commodity
demand and prices.
Professor Fred Cawood
Director – Wits Mining Institute
What are the challenges that you
think the mining industry will face
in the next few years.
always start with the ore body, which is
the fundamental asset, and then work
our way through the mine to the market.
South Africa’s unique ore bodies require a
unique approach for converting them into
profit. Phase two of the modernisation
drive in South Africa is mechanisation
(integrating machines and technology
systems with people and processes).
Mechanisation is currently underway in
South Africa. Phase three is automation,
for example robotic rock cutting.
What are we doing about it in terms
of research?
What do we need to know about
modernisation?
Modernisation in South Africa is
happening in stages, with phase one being
optimisation. Optimisation is a continuous
mining objective. It is important to
[18] MINING MIRROR FEBRUARY 2018
[18] MINING MIRROR FEBRUARY 2018
At Mining Phakisa, the national
government, its research councils,
universities, private (vendor) partners,
mining companies, and all their
stakeholders worked together and
developed a strategy, which requires
implementation. Mining R & D is
difficult and expensive. The industry is
cyclical, which makes it hard to get proper
and sustainable funding for real R & D.
Inadequate funding causes reshuffling
of existing knowledge, which is not a
long-term solution. Finally, the political
economy for mining is ‘charged’.
How can mine managers start
preparing for the future?
It is a matter of innovation or extinction.
New professions that will combine
traditional ‘silo’ disciplines and skills
will emerge, like data scientists who
will deal with big data systems. The
challenges for managers are how to
use big data for decisions on mine
safety, worker health, and operational
efficiency, and how to convert tomorrow’s
ore bodies safely into cash today.
Which aspects of mining should
we prioritise when we talk about
modernisation?
Understanding mining, people,
and systems for profit.
What is your vision of the ‘mine of
the future’?
There is no doubt that modernisation
will eventually lead to automation.
Because the mine of the future will be
technology-intensive, there will be less
people underground. Going forward, the
sustainability of mines and the mining
industry will become a big issue. There
must be benefits for all stakeholders, and
developing a South African meaning of
sustainable development is critical. One
thing is certain: there can be no sustainable
development without mining industry
(and mine) sustainability. For this we
need a better investment framework that
gives clarity and certainty in the political
economy space. We also need realistic
commodity pricing models that can
afford the full cost of mining; for example,
stakeholder expectations have a cost and
the commodity price has to reflect the
total profit left after paying all such costs.