Traditional Council visits mine
ZAC recorded one year of fatality free shifts.
WITH their area quite a distance from the actual coal mining operations site of Zululand Anthracite Colliery (ZAC), members of the Mlaba Traditional Council were intrigued to find out how coal is extracted from the ground.
ZAC is hosted by four traditional authorities, namely Zungu, Matheni, Mlaba and Mandlakazi, with operations spread between these authorities.
To better inform their host communities about mining activities and to build on the good relationships enjoyed by all parties, ZAC management invited members of the Mlaba Traditional Council on a tour of its operations.
Samuel Gaza said he had heard about the operations at the mine and what it entails from talking to people in his area employed at the mine.
‘I always listened to the stories, but I never thought I would see it in real life.
‘At first I was scared of a rock fall, but when I saw that the people working in the mine were not concerned, I relaxed and enjoyed finding out more of what they do,’ he said.
He said that over the years he has noticed an improvement in the education of children in the community through various initiatives introduced by ZAC.
No stranger to the mine nor its operations, retired council member Celemusa Sgungwana Langa used to operate a roof bolting machine in one of the mine shafts.
He enjoyed being on the ‘other side’ during the tour.
He said unemployment was a problem in his area, but they were fortunate as some people were employed by the mine.
‘Our area is remote and far from all the big industries, but with the mine right here there are opportunities for some of our people to get jobs.’
Not knowing what to expect, Deliwe Mlaba, iNkosi Mlaba’s sister, said , ‘I have seen people mining coal on TV, but it will be interesting to see it in person.That was amazing, I really enjoyed seeing how the coal is broken up into smaller blocks and brought out of the earth along the conveyor belts,’ she said.
The tour was a bittersweet one for Nokuphila Mazibuko, whose husband had died in 2010 after being injured in the mine.
‘It was interesting to see where my husband had worked. The people work very hard and now I can tell my children that I have seen where their father worked and how hard he worked to provide for them.’
Following the success of this tour by members of the Mlaba Traditional Council, ZAC General Manager Bruce Beath said they planned to host council members from their other three host communities.
Through committed safety efforts, ZAC recently celebrated one year of fatality free shifts.
