INDUSTRY NEWS

DMR must be challenged, good governance must be assured

Mining has the wealth-generating potential to boost economies, but countries blessed with a mineral endowment must at least do their bit by ensuring good governance, according to Mining Weekly.

Regrettably, against the background of the recently released “State of Capture” report of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, South Africa can kiss meaningful, honest mining investment goodbye until it pulls itself right.

In addition, last week’s passing of a new Minerals Bill by Parliament has again failed to de-risk mining investment.

What South Africa is losing out on, as a result of its errant regulatory behaviour, is highlighted in the latest report of the International Council of Mining and Minerals (ICMM), which ranks 183 countries according to the relative economic importance of mining.
The new data highlights the importance of governance in broader based economic and social progress.

Currently, South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) is inhibiting that progress by continuing to award mineral licences clandestinely and allowing the irregular movement of mine rehabilitation money.

All those dedicated to putting South Africa’s economic interests first should combine to force full transparency when it comes to mineral licensing and rehabilitation guarantee information.

Posting key information on the Internet for all to access is a must and the DMR should be forced to take its cue from organisations such as the ICMM and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to improve transparent reporting and governance.

 

MY WORK

Confidentiality in an open-plan office
By Wilmarie Brits

Close ties are forged between colleagues in an open-plan office. It is an interactive environment and promotes team cohesion and communication. This is where ideas take shape and are implemented with success. However, an open-plan office is also a double-edged sword. It could be that you work with documents that have to be handled as confidential at all times. So what do you do if you are dealing with client information, research results or budgets that are confidential, but you are working in an open-plan office?

How do you see to it that colleagues don’t peek over your shoulder while you are busy working on confidential documents? I suggest the following:

1. When working with electronic documents

If you deal with confidential documents all the time, ask your manager to allocate a work station to you that faces a wall so there is not too much traffic going past your work station. When leaving your desk, make sure your computer is locked. In this way, no one else will be able to use your computer while you are not there. Make sure the data on your computer is password protected and change your password on a regular basis.

2. When dealing with confidential paperwork

Before you print any confidential document, ask yourself whether it is really necessary to print it. It is true that when you print a document there is that chance that it could disappear. For example, it could be swept off your desk by a draft, the document landing up in the wrong hands. If a hard copy is an absolute necessity, make sure you immediately file it in a file marked “confidential”. When no longer needed, shred the document rather than throwing it in the bin. Before leaving the office in the afternoon, make sure no confidential information is lying about.

3. Private meetings and discussions

It is sometimes difficult to have private meetings or telephone conversations when you work in an open-plan office. It is therefore better to have your meeting in a boardroom, or you could make an arrangement with the other party to have the meeting at his/her office.

If a company fails to protect confidential business information, it could lead to losses. If confidential information lands up in the wrong hands, it can be abused or even be used in illegal activities. For this reason it is important that employees who work in open-plan offices always are on their guard.

MY HEALTH

Six tips for preventing type 2 diabetes
Compiled by Medihelp
(For affordable benefit options, SMS “solidariteit” to 32291.)

Over the past few decades, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has skyrocketed to such an extent that it is now viewed as an epidemic in the western world.

From being a once fairly mild and rare ailment of the elderly to becoming a chronic disease, this type of diabetes affects people of every age, race and background, and is now a major modern cause of premature death in many countries around the world.

Someone dies from type 2 diabetes every ten seconds worldwide. Happily, there is a great way to prevent type 2 diabetes: establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Lose extra weight

Excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes sevenfold. Being obese makes you 20 to 40 times more likely to develop diabetes than someone with a healthy weight.

Losing weight can help if your weight is above the healthy-weight range. Losing 7–10% of your current weight can cut your chances of developing type 2 diabetes in half.

2. Do more physical exercise

Experts agree that inactivity promotes type 2 diabetes. Working your muscles more often and making them work harder improves their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose. This puts less stress on your insulin-making cells.

Other benefits of regular physical activity also include weight loss and lowered blood sugar.

Research shows that aerobic exercise and resistance training can help control diabetes. The greatest benefit comes from a fitness programme that includes both.

3. Eat healthier fats

There is a common misconception that all fat is bad. It’s true that deep-fried fast food is an unhealthy source of fat. However, salmon and nuts have a high fat content that offers a variety of health benefits. Avocado is another food that is high in healthy fat.

It’s more important to avoid processed fats, hydrogenated, saturated or mostly saturated fats (especially avoid trans fats) and vegetable oils than to cut fat entirely out of your diet. Look for unsaturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fats instead.

4. Get plenty of fibre

It's rough, it's tough — and it may help you:

• Reduce your risk of diabetes by improving your blood sugar control;
• Lower your risk of heart disease;
• Promote weight loss by helping you feel full.

Foods high in fibre include fruits, vegetables, beans, wholegrains and nuts.

5. Go for wholegrains

Convincing evidence exists that diets rich in wholegrains can protect against diabetes, whereas diets rich in refined carbohydrates can lead to increased risk. It is not clear why, but wholegrains may reduce your risk of diabetes and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Try to ensure that at least half your grain intake is wholegrains. Many foods made from wholegrains come ready to eat, including various breads, pasta products and cereals. Look for the word "whole" on the package and among the first few items in the ingredient list.

6. Skip fad diets and just make healthier choices

Low-carb diets, the glycaemic index diet or other fad diets may help you lose weight at first, but their effectiveness at preventing diabetes isn't known, nor are their long-term effects. By excluding or strictly limiting a particular food group, you may be giving up essential nutrients. Instead, make variety and portion control part of your healthy-eating plan.

Sources: mayoclinic.org, hsph.harvard.edu; wikihow.com

 

MY SPORT

Inexperience no longer an excuse for Springboks’ woes
By Francois Redelinghuys

On Sunday morning the social media was abuzz with the news that Ireland succeeded in toppling the mighty All Blacks’ record of 18 successive wins. Looking at the highlights of the match, one realises that the Irish beat the men of the Long White Cloud through sheer fighting spirit and focus. True, Joe Schmidt, the crafty Irish coach, outsmarted the All Blacks tactically and his team provided the necessary bravery.

Earlier Saturday evening the ‘Boks played a fired-up Barbarian team and drew 31 each. The draw doesn’t really bother me because I realise that the match against the Babas is often used to try out new combinations and to give aspiring players an opportunity to prove themselves. To my mind Saturday’s match was necessary, if only for the fact that certain players really jumped at the opportunity to make Allister Coetzee take note of their game.   

First in line is Rohan Janse van Rensburg. On Saturday the power and supporting game of this stubby young player from the Lions explained why most people regarded him as the best centre in the country this year. Unfortunately Coetzee did not immediately notice his potential and until recently regarded Damian de Allende as having the same qualities as Janse van Rensburg.

Just as many players proved their mettle in Saturday’s game, such as Swys Venter and Jamba Ulengo, some spoiled their reputations even further. Of these Sergeal Peterson is most prominent, with Nizaam Carr and Oupa Mohoje not far behind. Peterson looked like a primary-school kid at a Super 16 big-school final. On the defence he looked like a punch bag and on the attack he repeatedly knocked on the ball. True, he is fast and his brilliant try showed how dangerous he can be in space, but this is not enough.

However, what really upsets me is the current tendency among coaching staff as well as commentators to hide behind the apparent inexperience of the ‘Boks. Poor play by individuals is often ascribed to lack of experience. The most recent case was in the Supersport studio after the match against the Babas when Joel Stransky referred to the inexperience of the team about six times. Yes, to some extent it does play a role, especially when it comes to new combinations. However, don’t tell me that the lack of daring at the breakdown points, unnecessary knock-ons and poor tackling can be ascribed to the lack of experience, especially not at this level where all the players already have Super Rugby experience. Saturday’s centre combination was also new, and this was obvious, but neither Janse van Rensburg nor Venter have to hang their heads in shame.

After the Springboks’ record defeat of 15-57 against the All Blacks last month, our head coach Allister Coetzee also hid behind the apparent lack of experience. At this point I want to leave him with one statistic. The Springbok team that was humiliated in Durban on that dark day had played in a total of 753 tests, an average of 32,7 tests per player. The Irish team who beat the All Blacks this past weekend had played in a total of 762 tests, an average of 33,1 tests per player. Don’t tell me that Ireland, with 0,4 tests more per player, has so much more experience. Moreover, Ireland had two players who made their test debuts against the All Blacks, and this while playing away from home. We, on the other hand, were humiliated in our own country. 

The sooner we stop apologising, the better.

 

KNIGHTS AND KNAVES

By Wilmarie Brits

Knight

This week’s knight is the mysterious artist who placed a statue of a strange rhinoceros called The Preservator, in the Fort Klapperkop Nature Reserve.

The statue appeared out of the blue this past weekend and various photos were shared on social media in an attempt to find out where it came from.

In the meantime, DA counsellor Shaun Wilkinson came forward to provide background on the matter. He says that an artist who wants to remain anonymous at this stage, approached him. The artist has one goal in mind, which is to take back the city’s open fields and to protect nature reserves and to make them fully sustainable.

Although a stigma of crime is currently clinging to Fort Klapperkop’s image, and the public is advised to stay away, the artist, by means of the protector statu, is attempting to encourage the public not to stand back. The statue is strategically placed on top of a heap of garbage to send out the message that waste will be won, and that this nature reserve will re-open as a place which is safe for the public.

Knave

This week’s knaves are the unscrupulous attackers who feasted while they held the Oosthuizen family captive before they finally killed Buks Oosthuizen with a shovel.

Buks and his family camped along the Vaal river as they have done many times before, when they were attacked by four people in the early hours of Saturday morning. The attackers locked the kids inside the family car whilst repeatedly assaulting Susan, Buks’s wife, with a blunt object, and attacking Buks with a shovel. The family was held captive for about an hour whilst the attackers danced to music and feasted on the family’s dinner.

After they ate all the food they escaped with two cell phones and a laptop, leaving Buks to die.

 

LEGAL QUESTION

By Danie van Graan

When would it be considered fair to dismiss an intoxicated employee?

First of all, it has to be established whether the employee is suffering from alcohol dependence and whether the particular incident of intoxication was simply a case of once-off misconduct. The latter being the case, the following factors need to be considered in deciding on an appropriate sanction:

1. The nature of the employee’s work determines the seriousness of the offence: the more complex the job the greater the responsibility is when it comes to potential injury and damage;
2. The employee’s disciplinary track record;
3. The circumstances in which the offence took place – was it, for example, a once-off incident that occurred because an employee attended a bachelor’s party the previous night; and
4. The consequences of the offence, for example, harming the employer’s reputation.

If the employee, however, contends that he or she is suffering from alcohol dependency, the employer may insist on having proof of it, in the form of a report from a psychologist, for example. That being the case, the employer may not deal with the incident as misconduct but rather as an incapacity due to ill health. In such a case, counselling and rehabilitation must first be considered before the employee may be dismissed. However, there is no obligation on the employer to pay for such rehabilitation.
The following factors need to be considered before the person can be dismissed:

1. Is the employee still capable of doing his/her work? If so, to what extent?
2. To what extent can the employee’s working conditions or duties be adjusted to accommodate the disability?
3. Can the employee perhaps be given another job (for example, a driver who could rather be doing administrative work)?

However, as an employee you have a duty to be upfront with your employer and to immediately inform him if you have a dependency problem. If your employer dismisses you for misconduct while you actually have a problem, then the dismissal will automatically be fair if you had kept quiet about it.

 

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Bottled cookie mix
By Wilmarie Brits

The year is quickly coming to an end and the shopping centres are a jungle full of people scurrying about to try and find gifts in time for Christmas. You, on the other hand, are probably at your wits’ end because you don’t know what to buy your friend or colleague at work for Christmas.

You needn’t worry anymore because here is a quick and easy DIY gift which won’t only tickle your friend’s or colleague’s taste buds, but she will also be very fond of it.

First off you’ll need a Consol glass jar with a screw-on lid. Fill the jar in layers with the following ingredients (one ingredient per layer):

Layer 1:
⅓ cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt

Layer 2:
1 cup oats

Layer 3:
¾ cup M&M sweets

Layer 4:
¾ cup chocolate flakes

Layer 5:
½ cup brown sugar

Layer 6:
½ cup white sugar

Layer 7:
¾ - ½ cup chopped pecan nuts

To ensure that all the ingredients fit into the bottle, it must be tightly packed. You can decide on the sequence of the layers yourself. The reason why I added the nuts last on top of the other layers in the jar is that if you find the ingredients are too much or too little to fill the whole jar, you can add or remove some of the nuts.

Decorating the jar

You can be very creative when it comes to the decoration of the jar. You can use a variety of materials to cover the lid, as well as any type of ribbon or lace, to keep the material which is placed over the lid in place. You can decide on a name for the cookies, and once you have chosen a name you can print that and the method to make the cookies on two different labels and stick them onto the bottle.

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Celsius.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients in the bottle together in a big mixing bowl and add the following wet ingredients:
   
   • 1 whisked egg
   • ½ cup butter (slightly melted in a microwave oven)
   • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3. As the mixture is so thick, you can use the back of a big spoon to mix all the ingredients together.
4. Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters of your choice, or roll the dough into little balls. Place the cookies on a greased baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

Source: Watertand resepte vir jonk en oud.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

Using your non-dominant hand to do habitual tasks for two weeks can help calm your temper. Studies show people with anger issues also lack self-control, which can be strengthened like a muscle, and the annoyance of doing things with the wrong hand can gradually improve the ability to manage anger.

Source: Science Daily

 

QUOTE

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?

Source: The Bible – Proverbs 6:6-9

 

This is how you can join the Solidarity Running Club

You can join the Solidarity Running Club by contacting club chairman Hendrik van der Westhuizen on 082 851 9451 for more information or send an email to atletiek@solidariteit.co.za.