Students attend mining journalism seminar
Johannesburg – The Menar Academy of Sandton recently hosted a media training workshop to equip student journalists with mining journalism skills.
The trainees were from media houses including SABC, Engineering News and Mining Weekly, eNCA, Mpumalanga Tribune newspaper Middelburg Observer and Lifa Communications. Journalism students from Tshwane University of Technology, University of Johannesburg and University of the Witwatersrand also attended.
Menar MD Vuslat Bayoglu shared his experiences of engaging with media from the perspective of a mining company. Speakers included Mergence Corporate Solutions director of mining Peter Major, who presented on understanding the resources sector from an investor’s perspective; Minerals Council of South Africa senior economist Bongani Motsa who spoke on the state of mining in South Africa; senior independent researcher Dr Salimah Valiani on the historical context of mining in South Africa and the future of the sector; and Webber Wentzel specialist mining lawyer Jonathan Veeran who gave a presentation on community engagement; the emerging key legal issues in the mining sector.
There were also presentations from award winning journalist Sikonathi Mantshantsha, who outlined what the toolkit for good journalism should comprise; National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) deputy president Philip Vilakazi highlighted the experience of organising in a sector riddled with job losses.
Menar chairperson and veteran journalist Mpumelelo Mkhabela discussed the structure of the mining sector and emphasised the importance of journalists making use of state-owned entities and listed companies’ annual reports to generate factually correct, newsworthy articles.
Trainees concluded the training by visiting Canyon Coal; a subsidiary of Menar opencast mine Khanye Colliery in Bronkhorstspruit. That enabled the trainees to experience the realities and complexities of operating a large-scale mine in South Africa.
Khanye Colliery general manager Guy Thompson gave an overview of the mine, followed by a tour of the mine’s main operating areas including two of the three mining pits and processing plant areas. Mining Review Africa
