Modern Quarrying Jan-Feb 2018

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Wits Mining gets ECSA approval Accreditation of Wits University’s School of Mining Engineering has been renewed for another five-year cycle by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), confirms Head of School Professor Cuthbert Musingwini. “This accreditation is a reassuring landmark for the School, indicating that our standards are remaining high and even improving. As importantly, it puts our graduates at an advantage when they enter the workplace – whether locally or globally – and when they wish to study further at other academic institutions elsewhere in the world,” he says. It allows Wits Mining graduates to register with ECSA firstly, as candidate engineers and later in their careers as professional engineers. TheWits Mining graduates also have their qualifications internationally recognised by employers and universities in other countries that are signatories to the Washington Accord. “The high standards met by the School are a key reason why it is one of the leading mining engineering programmes internationally,”Musingwini says. The School also remains the largest mining engineering programme in the English-speaking world; student numbers have been steady at about 850 undergraduates and post- graduates in recent years. In addition to attracting a high quality of local students, about 15% of the student body typically comes from countries outside South Africa. The ECSA accreditation will apply until 2022. www.wits/ac/za/miningeng

Concor Opencast Mining is well positioned as a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor.

New contracts for Concor Opencast Mining

Concor Opencast Mining has announced that the company recently secured two new contracts as well as an extension to an existing project. The company is part of Concor Construction, which was acquired by a consortium led by Southern Palace Group. MD Eric Wisse says that as a proudly Level 1 B-BBEE contributor the company is well posi- tioned to secure further projects in the mining sector. He says a substantial contract, worth R619-million, was confirmed with Anglo American Platinum ending the year off on a positive note. Concor Opencast Mining teams will provide load and haul services at the Zwartfontein Pit on the Mogalakwena mine. This is a 36-month contract. “Significantly, the company will also continue its work at the Blinkwater tailings dam facility at Mogalakwena for another two years, as an extension to an existing contract,”Wisse says. Concor Opencast Mining also secured a contract at Mafube Colliery’s Lifex project. Mafube is a joint venture between Anglo Coal and Exxaro. The scope of work on this contract comprises the devel- opment of the boxcut that will enable roll-over mining operations upon completion of the project. Another recently-awarded contract is the 36-month drill and blast contract at the Vlakfontein mine near Ogies in Mpumalanga. Wisse says that there has been an increase in enquiries over the past few months. “I believe this is directly linked to an increased opti- mism in the mining industry due to improving commodity prices, despite the other challenges this industry faces.” www.concor.co.za

Head of Wits University’s School of Mining Engineering, Professor Cuthbert Musingwini.

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MODERN QUARRYING

Quarter 1 / 2018