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Council

Structure of the Council

The President and a 18 member Council, includes the Northern Cape who are elected annually, administer the affairs of the Association. To ensure continuity, a Permanent Secretary oversees the administration of the Association from offices situated within, and provided by, the Chamber of Mines of South Africa. (See appointment of representatives to council and committees)

Tom van den Berg

Tom van den Berg

Portfolio: President; Honorary Treasurer; Committee of Management; MPA Steering Committee; SAIMM Observer (Council); banquet; golf day; presidential tour; hard rock safety day;

Tom holds a MBL degree, a degree in Mining Engineering, through the University of Johannesburg, and has a wealth of experience in the gold and platinum mining sectors, including mining at ultra deep levels, project planning for new operations and the recommissioning of a dormant mine. Tom has published a number of technical papers and is a Fellow of SAIMM. In 2002, Tom received both the AMMSA gold medal and Wits Technikon alumni award and blazer. He is currently General Manager of Khuseleka Mine Anglo Platinum, in his tenor the Mine has vastly improved its safety record, significantly improved its operating efficiencies’, and is busy completing a major capital project, to extend the mines life to 2027. Most recently he has chaired the NW RTN Tripartite forum, as well as launched the first Hard Rock Safety Day, in combined effort with AMMSA , SAIMM, NUM, UASA, Solidarity, and the DMR.

HJC Ferreira

Johan Ferreira

Portfolio: Vice-President; Students/Mentorship; Committee of Management; new district liaison; hard rock safety day; banquet MC; MPA Steering Committee; Membership Committee;

Johan has 21 years experience of the mining industry, beginning as a Learner Official with Anglo American Corporation and is currently General Manager at AngloGold Ashanti’s Moab Khotsong Mine. He obtained his B.Eng Degree at University of Pretoria in 1991 and has since received the Sangorm Gold Medal Prize for Rock Engineering and the Move-up Gold Medal Prize for Mine Design. He played a significant role in the creation and development of Hilti Electric Rock Drills.

Frik Fourie

Frik Fourie

Portfolio: Gold Producers’ Committee; Adoption of Past Presidents and HLM’s to Council

Frik’s career spans two decades in the mining industry, and includes the commissioning of many successful projects and interventions on both the operational and human resources fronts. A well qualified and greatly experienced metalliferous mining diplomate and general manager, Frik is also a member of ECSA, SAIMM and AMMSA.

Chris J S Moller

Chris Moller

Portfolio: Western District representative; OH&SPC; Tripartite Forum,

Chris holds a Mine Manager Certificate form MAP Witwatersrand. He has obtained 26 years of gold mining and also an extensive knowledge in shaft pillar extraction. He is the Gold Fields SA operations manager at Kloof Gold Mine.

Mandla Nelson Ndlala

Mandla Nelson Ndlala

Portfolio: Central District representative;Certificate of Competency representative; NW Tripartite Forum (RTB)

Nelson has a BTech Mining Engineering from the University of Johannesburg and an MBL. He started his mining career in the GoldFields group as a Learner Official (LOTC). As an LOTC, he worked at Libanon, Venterspost, Northam Platinum, East and West Driefontein Gold Mines. He was appointed a Shift Boss in 1992 and moved up the ranks from Shift Boss to Business Unit Manager. In 2002, Nelson was seconded to Tarkwa- Ghanaian operations for opencast operations experience. In 2003 he was transferred to Beatrix as Manager Operations. In 2005 Nelson joined Impala Platinum as Mine Manager and later promoted to senior Mine Manager in 2007. He is currently a General Manager for 6, 7, 7A, 8 shafts and the Open pit.

Nelson spent 16 years of his mining career in Gold Mines. He acquired deep level Gold mining at Driefontein and shallow mining experience at Beatrix. The past 4-5 years Nelson was exposed to Platinum mining. His HR background, various development courses have made him a balanced manager.

Francois Uys

Francois Uys

Portfolio: Mines rescue services representative; MPA Steering Committee; Eastern district tripartite forum, MPA Steering Committee

 

Theo Benzien

Theo Benzien

Portfolio: Free State District representative; Mines rescue services; SAIMM Observer (Council); district Tripartite Forum

Theo holds a degree in mining engineering through the University of Johannesburg, a B COM degree through Unisa and is a registered professional engineer with ECSA. Has 32 years mining experience. Started as a learner official with Anglo American. Went through all the ranks in mining and also worked as contracts manager with shaft sinkers, operations and senior operations manager in Goldfields and is currently manager at Unisel shaft with Harmony in the Free State.

Johan H Combrink

Johan H Combrink

Portfolio: Eastern District representative; National Committee on Explosives; district fund raising;

Johan holds a National Higher Diploma from Witwatersrand Technikon. He has obtained valuable experience in deep level gold mining; both high and low grade operations. He is currently the General Manager at Xstrata Eastern chrome mines.

Christo J Horn

Christo J Horn

Portfolio: Central district representative, fund raising co-ordinator, editorial publications, website maintenance and update; Editorial Committee;

Christo holds a B.Sc. Mining Engineering. He has obtained valuable seven years experience in deep level gold mining also in Mechanised areas of platinum mining. He is currently the Senior Manager at Lonmin Platinum.

Mathhews Nzimande

Thabo Matthews Nzimande

Portfolio: Students/Mentorship alternate; 2013 Targets and Milestones including Sustainable Development representative alternate; Technical Visits; Technical visits, membership and AMA

Thabo holds a National Higher Diploma in Metal Mining from Witwatersrand Technikon. He obtained 17 years experience in both medium and deep level gold mining. He also has three years experience in Platinum mining at Northam. He spend year at the Corporate Office and also worked as a Technical Assistant at Tau Tona. He started as a General Manager at AngloGold Ashanti’s Tau Lekoa Mine in Orkney in 2008.

V Nhlapo

Velile Nhlapo

Portfolio: Central District alternate; Students/Mentorship; Website and Marketing (Face Book); student day; membership

Velile holds a National Diploma and National Higher Diploma in Metalliferous Mining, as well as a B-Tech Degree in Mining Engineering from the University of Johannesburg. During his career he has obtained a Blasting Certificate, Onsetter’s Certificate, Mine Overseer’s Certificate and Mine Manager’s Certificate and completed the Production Supervisor’s Promotion Course.

Velile embarking on his mining career as a Learner Official at Gold Fields’ Kloof Mine in 1995 and in 1998, he was seconded to Oryx Gold Mine where he acted in the position of Production Supervisor before subsequently being appointed in the position a year later. In 2002, he was promoted to Mine Overseer and later to Unit Manager in June 2004. At the start of 2005, Velile joined the Anglo Platinum team at Amandelbult as a Section Manager and by the end of the year he had been promoted to Production Manager. He also worked as an Assistant Mine Manager at Union Mine, before returning to Amandelbult to take up the position of Mine Manager in 2008. Currently the General Manager of Anglo Platinum’s Dishaba Mine.

W H Taylor

W H Taylor

Portfolio: 2013 Targets and Milestones including Sustainable Development; Safety Summit; MOSH Adoption Liaison; Tripartite Forums; MHSC; National Committee on Explosives; Overall Tripartite establishment in all districts; 2013 milestones; MOSH adoption; Safety Summit; National Explosives Committee; Hard Rock Safety Rules

William holds a degree in Mining Engineering, through the University of Johannesburg, and has a wealth of experience in the coal, gold and platinum mining sectors, and a variety of shallow, deep and ultra deep mining, conventional and mechanized mining. William started his career in 1986 with Rand Mines and worked on Durban Roodepoort Deep, ERPM, Durban Navigation Collieries and Harmony. William was appointed Technical Assistant in 1995 on ERPM and moved through the ranks in Rand Mines and left Harmony as Mine Manger H2 # and H3 #. He joined Anglo Platinum in 2001. He became General Manager of Union Mine in 2007. . During his tenor as General Manager on Union Mine the mine has seen significant improvements in efficiency through asset optimization through the capital /infrastructure optimization, mining cycle optimization and crew efficiency’s .The mine achieved an Industry Record at 7.8 million fatality free shift. He won the CE award for Anglo Plc and the MHSC Safety Flag during 2008. The mine won the hard rock industry best in class award for platinum and the mine received a significant industry achievement award during 2009. He was also recognized with an alumni blazer by the University of Johannesburg. William was moved to Corporate as Executive Safety Advisor Anglo Platinum in 2010.

Garth Oliver

Garth Oliver

Portfolio: Western District alternate and district fund raising; Editorial Committee;Mines rescue services; OH&SPC; membership
J P Janse van Rensburg

J P Janse van Rensburg

Portfolio: Eastern District alternate
Adrian Sobreira

Adrian Sobreira

Portfolio: Free State District alternate; Honorary Treasurer; Mines rescue services; fund raising in district; AMM funding
Max Morapeli

Maxwell Morapeli

Portfolio: Northern Cape representative
Koos Janse van Vuuren

Koos Janse van Vuuren

Portfolio: Member of SACMA (Past President 2007); NCMMA (Council member); AMMSA (ordinary member) and Professional Certificate Engineer (Mining) at ECSA; Northern Cape representative

Koos holds a degree in Electrical and Mining Engineering from the University of Stellenbosch and Pretoria. During his career he has obtained his Mine Manager's Certificate of Competency (Coal Mine), Electrical Engineer's Certificate of Competency and a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) through the Potchefstroom University. Koos started his mining career at Sasol Mining as an Engineer in Training (EIT). As an EIT, he worked at Brandspruit West, Main and No2 shafts, Evander Gold Mines, Bosjespruit Main shaft and Sasol Mining Central Planning Services.

The past two years Koos was exposed to Manganese Mining in the Northern Cape in the role of General Manager for the Hotazel Manganese Mines Operations at BHP Billiton. Koos is transforming Hotazel Manganese Mines to be the preferred mine in the province with a high performance culture.

 

© 2007 AMMSA – Association of Mine Managers South Africa