From the COO’s Desk

Dear Colleagues, Contractors and Community members,

It is with great pleasure that I share the first edition of Zikhiphani eZAC with you. It has been in the pipeline for some time but today I am very proud that it has become a reality. As the name suggests, the purpose of Zikhiphani eZAC is to provide updates to all stakeholders about what we are doing to take Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC) forward.

Since Menar, our main shareholder, acquired the operations in September 2016, it has been a great challenge to take ZAC from the status of bankruptcy to a sustainable mining operation that contributes to the wellbeing of our host communities. It has not been an easy task. It required a huge effort from our shareholders, employees, unions and community members working together. This has given ZAC a new lease of life.

Legacy issues from previous owners has made engaging with communities a challenging task at times, but with the assistance of the Future Forum Committee members as well as the support from the Amakhosi from the Mlaba, Matheni, Mandlakazi and Zungu traditional councils, many breakthroughs have been made and the way forward looks promising.

The first six months of 2019 have been very productive with regards to social projects, community meetings and engagements, youth developments as well as procurement opportunities that focus on direct community empowerment. However, at the same time we have faced operational challenges owing to some community unrest which negatively impacted upon production in the first quarter of the year.

ZAC management together with Future Forum members have spent many hours together to address recruitment issues, which was a significant factor that led to the production disturbances from the community. These discussions have also helped us to resolve a major issue that needed resolution for many years. I am grateful for the cooperation.

With regards to production output, year to date, ZAC has produced 392 635 tons, which is far below the 587 692 tons that were forecast for the first half of 2019. The first quarter disruptions were a major contributor to this loss in production as well as a number of geological challenges that we faced.

Nonetheless, I firmly believe that if we as ZAC and the community work together, we can still make up the lost production volumes in the second half of the year.

ZAC is very proud of the developments we have made with regards to our social and labour plan (SLP) commitments to date. We are working together with the Zululand District Municipality to complete our projects and fulfil the requirements of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between us.

Moreover, we are working with youth skills development programme at ZAC in order to give young people work place exposure on the mine, and give them the necessary training to be able to grow and take this experience further in their career.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the continued support that you have given the mine to assist us to make ZAC a better place for all our employees, contractors and community members.

I am looking forward to the growth that we will all achieve together as this is extremely important for future of the mine and the sustainability of the business.

Lastly, but most importantly, I want to remind all mine employees that safe production remains the number one priority of ZAC. Please always ensure at all times that you look after yourself as well as the team around you.

We are not apologetic about the fact that health and safety are our major priorities. Our motto at ZAC is “Production that is not produced safely, is production that is not needed.”

I hope you all enjoy reading this inaugural bumper edition of Zikhiphani eZAC!

Umyalezo ka-COO

Balingani Abathandekayo, osoNkontileka noMphakathi,

Kuyintokozo enkulu ukunethulela ushicilelo lokuqala lweZikhiphani e-ZAC. Kade sayihlela kepha namuhla iphupho lethu selifezekile. Njengoba igama lisho, inhloso ye-Zikhiphani eZAC ukwazisa bonke abalingani nesisebenzisana nabo ukuthi senzani ukudlondlobalisa i-Zululand Anthracite Colliery (i-ZAC).

Njengoba i-Menar, abanikazi abanesabelo esikhulu kwi-ZAC, bethenge le nkampani ngoSepthemba wango-2016, kube yinselelo enkulu ukushintsha isimo sokuntengantenga kwezimali ibe yinkampani eyenza inzuzo neneqhaza ekuthuthukiseni imiphakathi esisebenza kuyo. Akubanga wumsebenzi olula. Bekudinga umsebenzi omkhulu wokubambisana wabalingani bethu, abasebenzi, izinyunyana nomphakathi. Loku kuyivuse emaqandeni i-ZAC.

Izinselelo esizificile zenze ukuthi kwenye inkathi kube nzima ukusebenzisana nemiphakathi kodwa ngosizo lwe-Future Forum Committee namakhosi emikhandlu yezizwe zakwaMlaba, Zungu, Matheni nakwaMandlakazi iyakhanya indlela futhi nekusasa liqhakazile.

Izinyanga eziyisithupha zokuqala zango-2019 zithele izithelo ezinhle kakhulu ngokwemisebenzi emphakathini, imihlangano nokusebenzisana nemiphakathi, izinhlelo zokuthuthukisa intsha namathuba okudala umsebenzi okuzothuthukisa umphakathi ngqo. Kepha noma kunjalo, sibhekane nezinselelo emsebenzini ngenxa yothuthuva lomphakathi okuphazamise umkhiqizo ngekwata yokuqala yonyaka noma ngezinyanga ezintathu zokuqala konyaka.

Abaphathi be-ZAC namalungu e-Future Forum bahlangane isikhathi eside bedingida indaba yokuqasha, ebiyimbangela enkulu eholele ekutheni umphakathi uphazamise umsebenzi. Lezi zingxoxo zisisize saxazulula inkanankana eneminyaka ikhona. Siyakubonga loku kubambisana.

Mayelana nomkhiqizo, kuze kube manje i-ZAC isikhiqize amathani awu-392 635, okungaphansi kakhulu emgomweni owu-587 692 esasizibekele wesigaba sokuqala sonyaka ngo-2019. Izinselelo zangekwata yokuqala yonyaka zibe nesandla esikhulu ekungasebenzini kahle kanye nezinye izinselelo zesimo sezendawo ebezisigabhile.

Noma kunjalo, ngiyakholwa kakhulu ukuthi siwumphakathi ne-ZAC ngokubambisana, sizokwazi ukufinyelela emgomeni womthamo odingekayo ngesigaba sesibili sonyaka.

I-ZAC iyaziqhenya kakhulu ngendima esiyikhathulile ezibophweni zethu mayelana nohlelo lwethu lomphakathi nomsebenzi, phecelezi i-social and labour plan (i-SLP). Sibambisene noMasipala wesiFunda iZululand ukuqedela umsebenzi nokugcwalisa izidingo zesivumelwano sokusebenzisana kwethu.

Ngaphezu kwalokho e-ZAC, siphezu kohlelo lokuthuthukisa intsha ukuze sinike abantu abasha bakithi ithuba lokwazi umsebenzi wasemayini, sibacijele ukuthi babe namakhono akusasa omsebenzi.

Ngifisa ukuthatha leli thuba ukunibonga nonke ngokuhlale niseka imayini nokubeka i-ZAC esicongweni senzela abasebenzi, osonkontileka nomphakathi wonke.

Ngikubheke ngamehlo abomvu ukudlondlobala kwethu sonke ngenxa yokuthi loku kumqoka kakhulu ekuthuthukeni kwemayini nenkampani.

Okokugcina, nokumqoka kakhulu, ngifisa ukukhumbuza abasebenzi basemayini bonke ukuthi umsebenzi womkhiqizo ophephile yinto eseqhulwini kwi-ZAC. Niyanxuswa ukuthi ngaso sonke isikhathi niqikelele ukuthi niphephile namathimba enu.

Asifihli futhi asinanazi ukuthi impilo nokuphepha yizinto ezimqoka kakhulu kithina. Isiqubulo sethu e-ZAC sithi: “Production that is not produced safely, is production that is not needed,” okuwukuthi ngokuhunyushwa “Umkhiqizo ongaphephile, wumkhiqizo ongadingekile”.

Ngethemba ukuthi nizolithokozela lolu shicilelo lwaleli bhukwana i-Zikhiphani e-ZAC eliqukethe okuningi!

magazine, ibhuku, company overview, ezenkampaniMenar15 July 2019