T RA N S FO R M AT I O N A call for progressive management

Some of the problems the mining industry faces may have been unintentionally cocreated by the industry itself. This is the opinion of Lonmin executive vice-president Transformation Barnard Mokwena.

“They originated in historical developments, which served a previous system. Migrant labour, for example, was a convenient system, but it created a host of socioeconomic ills.

“By farming out the recruitment function to labour bureaus mine management was not only shortsightedly relinquishing control over a crucial function but also abdicating their prerogative to relate with the employees directly. The space created was occupied by the trade unions and now that management wants to reclaim it, it finds its legitimacy being questioned by its employees,” he says.

For Lonmin, however, reclaiming the hearts and minds of its employees has become a priority, following the Marikana incident last year.

Mokwena believes that what is required is nothing less than the inculcation of “thought leadership” among mine management.

“The industry needs to unlearn the old ways of managing and relating as it has become a completely new enterprise. This requires that we continuously test and challenge the so-called orthodox practices whenever we find ourselves falling back into old ways.

“Lonmin took a bold step in this direction last year when it stopped using the labour bureau Teba for recruitment purposes. We needed to own our recruitment and not leave it to a third party. However, there needs to be a fine balance between the interests of migrant and local labour, so as not to cause resentment among either group,” he says.

The Lonmin Training College was