Abstract The metal recycling industry is an important job creator in developing countries and is highly competitive in the provision of green jobs. The world’s financial mayhem sent shockwaves globally, and in particular, to the scrap recycling industry with dire consequences to metal trade. This impacted negatively on the economy. In KwaZulu-Natal, for instance, many companies had to retrench or put employees on short time in an attempt to contain the effects of productivity shortages based on the metal business impairment as a result of the global economic crisis. The aim of this article is to present the managerial perspectives when dealing with scrap recycling operations. Quality theories were revisited and formed the basis for the investigation. The rationale is to suggest solutions to a plethora of problems caused by the financial turmoil. A thorough review of literature was conducted. A mixed method was used ISSN 1728 - 9157 JMA – Issue I – 2017 [26] throughout the study and particularly during data collection phase. In total, 90.9% of the respondents revealed that their management followed the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industry (ISRI) specifications. The study posits that continuous improvement is paramount for successful secondary metal operations. Suggestions for future research include the need to conduct research of this magnitude at provincial and national levels. Keywords: Scrap metals, quality initiatives, metal recycling operations, health and safety, financial crisis, productivity, and global economic crisis.
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1 Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is relatively a new concept especially in Africa because the culture and the enabling institutional infrastructure has not been as fully developed as in the industrialized economies of the north. In the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, current CSR debate is focused on how policy and practice would be enhanced and enforced to benefit the populace. The SADC countries share a similar history of colonialism, racism and the accompanying economic imbalances. The development of CSR in the respective countries share similarities in post-colonial interventions to address historical economic imbalances. The emerging debate is premised on the issues of political freedom and economic liberation. Large businesses are dominated by multinational corporations (MNCs) whilst the indigenous locals have been advocating for affirmative action. In South Africa one opposition political party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), holds a philosophy and ideology based on fighting for locals to benefit through participation in an economy previously dominated by the white minority. The Zimbabwean government in trying to address colonial imbalances adopted the radical policy of indigenization meant to empower locals. Unfortunately, this well-intended policy caused capital flight and low foreign direct investment. The local communities in mining areas such as Marange in the Eastern province of Zimbabwe did not benefit from the diamond resources in their area. The policy of part-ownership of the diamond mines through Community Share Ownership Trust Schemes (CSOTS) were not successful...
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Executive Summary
BRICS shall die, metamorphose and thrive. It’s a way of rethinking the socio-economic fabric before, amid and beyond the COVID-19 crisis. BRICS as a partnership was not static from its inception by Jim O’Neil to date. Starting as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) the partnership incorporated South Africa in 2010 to form the BRICS. As the partnership it was mainly a political initiative that had little if any economic developmental project but it didn’t take long before the organisation metamorphosed into a relatively robust and ambitious economic challenger of the current world order, symbolised by the “competition” with the Breton wood institutions inter alia the World Bank and the International Monetary Funds (IMF). Just like a grain planted into the soil that needs to die and come out as a crop before growing to become a plant or a tree, BRICS must face it. The study predicts the death of BRICS and explains that it will either evolve into BRICS Plus or a totally different but more effective global organisation overpowering once for all the Breton wood institutions and ultimately changing the world order – could the COVID-19 crisis accelerate that process? Could the current health pandemic and global economic crisis that goes with it trigger the metamorphosis of the BRICS as we know it today? What if that becomes one of the effects of the much-anticipated new world order? Let’s wait and see. Using a variety of research conducted separately, this e-book discusses matters of economic substance from African perspective. it identifies the negative scores of the BRICS as a partnership as it is confronted with death and seeks to understand its rebirth, restructuring or re-engineering in the aftermath. The study further assesses the strengths of BRICS and advices how to capitalise on these for a steady economic growth going forward. It looks at economic issues affecting the BRICS or its member countries with focus on South Africa.
By Dr Byelongo Elisée Isheloke
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Introducing Mwamba Mining – bring mercury-free artisanal gold mining into the 21st century. When we think of mining we often think of large-scale projects, using new technology such as UAV surveys and a move towards automation. Yet artisanal and small-scale mining still continues in approximately 80 countries worldwide, with up to 40 million people working in the sector. That shouldn’t be surprising, we know mining is one of the most ancient industries known to man, and the barrier to entry as an artisanal miner is very low. Compare that to 7 million people worldwide involved in industrial mining. Mwamba mining, operating in Mwanza, Tanzania, is a young company that is looking to bring artisanal mining up to date in a way that could have global implications for this sector of the mining industry. Mwamba provides processing services to the artisanal miners of Mwanza, but critically, also as a broker and dealer for these miners in a regulated way that was previously difficult for the miners to access. Mwamba’s business model is to facilitate the connection of artisanal gold miners with international gold markets or institutional buyers. The founders of Mwamba Mining, Thomas and Eduard Cornew and Samuel Bahebe, came up with the idea for the company whilst studying at Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering. The seed of the company came from a project to develop an affordable mercury recapture device to be used by artisanal miners – mercury being widely used in the extraction of gold from ore within small-scale mining as it is both cheap and readily available. The UN has reported that artisanal mining can release up to 1400 tonnes of mercury into the environment per year, that’s about 40% of the world’s total. Faced with this information, the team realised that going back to first principles and seeking a mercury-free solution had to be the way forward.
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Speech by Dr Byelongo Elisée Isheloke for the Heritage month commemoration on 28 September 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Molweni, Sani bonani, Jambo Afrika, Mwabyo’e, Saluton gekaraj, Goeie more, Salam maleikhum, Shalom, fellow Africans, friends of Africa and distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Malaika, nakupenda Malaika x2 Nami nifanyeje, kijana mwenzio, (nashindwa na mali sina weee, ningekuowa malaika x2 (a song in memory of Mama Afrika Miriam Makeba)).
It is a privilege and honour to be invited to speak about a theme I hold dear in my heart. At a glance, I should say that the invitation was to tell a story that promotes indigenous languages – a monumental but not impossible task to accomplish, when we know that it talks to our African identity.
The event is organised to commemorate the Heritage Month. I thank the organisers for this.
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