The throughput of mining engineering students in the University of Johannesburg (2009 to 2013 cohorts)

Abstract: The analysis of throughput rates involves the calculation of how many students in a given cohort completed their degrees and graduated within the stipulated time, how many dropped out, and how many took longer than the stipulated time to graduate. In the University of Johannesburg throughput is calculated as the number of students who graduated in a given cohort over the number of students enrolled. It is disheartening to realise that some students lend up out of university for a number of reasons and this contributes to the throughput rate calculation. Scott et al. (2007) suggests that a lack of academic 'preparedness', in terms of both social class and the high school curriculum is one of the reasons why students fail to or take longer to master degree requirements. While the study done in 2010 by the Council on Higher Education, Higher Education Monitor on access, retention and throughput, reports amongst others that lecturers’ pedagogical resources and the institutional environment are factors that contribute to students’ success or failure in a university. Some students have financial pressures that oblige them to work while they study or take breaks between years to earn, which delays their progress in the university. According to skillsportal South Africa there has been misalignments between institutions teaching style and students’ learning styles which is believed to have a direct impact on throughput rates. This paper reports on the throughput rate of Mining Engineering students in the University of Johannesburg with a particular focus on the 2009 to 2013 cohorts. The paper delves into the causes of some students in Mining Engineering National Diploma failing to complete their diploma requirements. The paper should inform students, their families, academics, higher education institutions as well as the government as the main funder of higher education

Dust deposition at a Gold Mine Village in the West Rand

Abstract: For communities found encroaching tailings storage facilities (TSFs) in the Witwatersrand, windblown dust is perceived as a health threat and an environmental challenge. The community from a gold mine village in the West Rand perceives Tailings Storage Facility number 6 and other surrounding tailings storage facilities which are partially rehabilitated to be a health and socio economic threat. Since 2013, when a gold mine in close proximity to this community was liquidated complaints about dust have been prevalent and nothing has been done in terms of rehabilitation. To validate the claims made by the community this paper reports on the dust deposition, and respiratory illnesses risk posed by wind-blown generated dust. The study conducts an air quality assessment using dispersion modelling of windblown dust. Surface material from the TSFs was sampled, analysed for silica and heavy metal content using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma- mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This paper finds dust fallout, PM10, high silica and uranium content which could potentially pose health threats to the surrounding community. The paper further shows that dust deposition is the highest in July-October, with TSF6 posing a nuisance while TSF1 being a potential health threat owing to its particle size distribution for the surrounding gold mine villages

Successful prosecution in the mining industry (South Gauteng)

Abstract: Successful prosecution in the mining industry (south Gauteng) Abstract The Mining Industry Occupational Health and Safety Hub (MOSH) hub, Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) has numerous safety interventions (zero harm inter alia) in partnership with the mining houses. Despite those safety interventions there has been a significant increase in the number of mine injuries over the past two years. The Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) is the legislation that the mining sector should comply with in order to prevent accidents that may lead to fatalities. In the case of a fatality the MHSA (Section 60) states that ’the Chief Inspector of Mines must instruct an Inspector to conduct an investigation into any accident that resulted to the death of any person’. This is followed by the application of Section 65, which instructs the Chief Inspector of Mines to direct an Inspector to conduct an inquiry into any accident or incident at a mine that results in the death of any person. Section 72 (1) (b) follows, which specifies that at the conclusion of the inquiry the person presiding must prepare a written report of the findings, recommendations, and any remedial steps. Section 72 (3) then states that the Chief Inspector of Mines may submit a copy of the report to the appropriate Attorney-General (MHSA, 1996). The process alluded to above is a result of the decision made by the 1995 Leon Commission. The Commission recommended against the reintroduction of the Mining Court. It further concluded that ’its recommendations concerning the inspectorate, the introduction of a legal section therein, as well as a stronger regulation with regards to actual inquiries, should be sufficient to serve a purpose of a mining court’. This study investigates the impacts that the abovementioned recommendations have on prosecution as a compliance enforcement tool. Prosecution, though contentious, it is part of the Mine Health and Safety’s preventative and punitive system. This study focuses on the mines in southern Gauteng Province, and stresses that mine fatalities may have adverse impacts on all mining stakeholders, especially families

The assessment of the external costs of dust fallout in Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mining Village

Abstract: Mining is important for the South African economy, as it is for many developing African nations. In 2017, mining was reported to contribute 6.8 % to the South African GDP and provided more than 460, 000 jobs. Though mining adds an enormous amount of value to the country, it has significant impacts on the environment and the socio-economic factors of a society. The well-documented environmental impact of mining operations on surface and groundwater systems, known as Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), is just one of these environmental impacts. There are also other impacts such as the pollution of agricultural soils, the creation of sinkholes and air pollution. For example, airborne dust remains a persistent problem in South African urban areas due to the climatic conditions, extensive surface mining, unrehabilitated tailings dumps and mineral processing. However, very little is reported on the socio-economic costs that are due to poor environmental management. Some scholars assert that despite the Mine Health and Safety Act, deposition monitoring guidelines and national dust regulations, South Africa still experiences persistent dust problems, especially in coal and gold mining districts. This paper investigates the effect of gold mining dust pollution in and around Blyvooruitzicht Gold Mining Village, in South Africa. A quantitative and qualitative approach was used, where the community of Blyvooruitzicht was interviewed to examine their perceptions on dust pollution and their socio-economic environment. This paper examines how poor and premature mine closure by liquidation results in unrehabilitated mine tailings and how this has significant impacts on the socio-economic status of individuals and surrounding businesses. The community of Blyvoor being investigated in the paper, perceives the dust fallout impact to be a socio-economic threat. The paper finds that the community believes it incurs financial expenditures due to treating respiratory related diseases triggered by dust fallout

The impacts of Section 54 stoppages on staff morale

Abstract: The main reasons for the issuing of Section 54 notices under the Mine Health and Safety Act, 29 of 1996 (MHSA) is the failure of mining operations to comply with the Act. When health and safety standards and procedures have not been properly implemented and do not comply with the MHSA, a Section 54 notice is likely to be issued by the Inspector of Mines from the Department of Mineral Resource (DMR). Section 54 of the MHSA states that ’If an inspector has reason to believe that any occurrence, practice or condition at a mine endangers or may endanger the health or safety of any person at the mine, the inspector may give any instruction necessary to protect the health and safety of persons at the mine’. Section 30 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993 (OHSA) also grants an inspector powers to deal with dangerous conditions. A number of statements and reports have been published about the impacts of Section 54 on the mining business, but very little (if any) information is available on the impact on mineworkers’ morale. In 2011, Section 54 stoppages cost the South African economy $500 million by losing 300 000 precious metal ounces of production (Mining Weekly, 2012). Warren Beech of Hogan Lovell law firm believes that Section 54 stoppages affect the morale of the team, the health and production momentum of the team, and the remuneration of employees, which includes the safety bonus (Naidoo, 2014). This paper explores the impacts of the issuing of Section 54 notices on mineworkers’ morale, using a platinum mine in the North West Province as a case study

Reasons why insured consumers co-pay for medicines at retail pharmacies in Pretoria, South Africa

Background: Costly prescription medicines with existing cheaper alternatives tend to be purchased by medically insured consumers of healthcare. In South Africa medical scheme members pay higher out-of-pocket payments for medicines than those without insurance. Aim: This study explored reasons for co-payments among insured Pretoria medical scheme members purchasing prescription medicines at private retail pharmacies, despite being insured and protected against such payments. Setting: The study took place in retail pharmacies in Pretoria, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was performed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among purposefully sampled medical scheme members (12) and nine key informants (six pharmacists and three regulators – one for the pharmaceutical industry, one for medical schemes and one for pharmacists). Three pharmacies (two corporate and one independent) each were identified from high and low socio-economic areas. Scheme members were interviewed immediately after having made a co-payment (eight) or no co-payment (four) from the selected pharmacies. Interviews were recorded, coded and organised into themes. Results: Co-payments were deemed confusing, unpredictable and inconsistent between and within pharmacies. Members blamed schemes for causing co-payments. Six sampled pharmacies rarely stocked the lowest-priced medicines; instead, they dispensed medicines from manufacturers with whom they had a relationship. Corporate pharmacies were favoured compared to independents and brand loyalty superseded cost considerations. Medical scheme members did not understand how medical schemes’ function. Conclusion: Unavailability of lowest-priced medicines at pharmacies contributes to co-payments. Consumer education about generics and expedited implementation of National Health Insurance could significantly reduce co-payments

Trends in the utilization of medicines sold in the private sector post-registration in South Africa and the implications for similar countries

Background: Regulatory authorities register medicines for patients to access them within a reasonable period of time. There is a paucity of available data regarding the extent to which registered medicines reach the public after market authorisation is granted by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). This is important since time spent by SAHPRA assessing medicines that are subsequently not launched onto the South African market means time wasted, which could be spent on assessing new medicines that address an unmet need in the country. Consequently, we initially analysed the time taken for registered medicines to reach patients and the relationship between medicines registered at SAHPRA and those subsequently dispensed in private pharmacies. The extent of registration of multiple sourced versus new patented medicines was also explored. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive and quantitative investigation was conducted for medicines registered between 2014 and 2019. Registered and dispensed medicines were compared to establish accessibility post registration. Data sources included SAHPRA and IQVIA datasets. Microsoft Excel and SAS were used for data storage, analysis, and computation of descriptive statistical analysis. Results: Of (N=2175) registered medicines, only 358 (16.5%; 95% CI 15.0% - 18.1%) were dispensed to patients, and out of 1735 medicines registered between 2015 and2019, only 57 (3.3%; 95% CI 2.5% - 4.2%) were dispensed during the study period. Medicines acting on the central nervous system were registered and dispensed the most at 21.0% and 18.0%, respectively, whereas antineoplastic and immunomodulation agents were registered and dispensed only 11% and 5%, respectively. A concern was that only 13.0% of registered medicines were originators, with most either as generics, including branded generics, or pseudo-generics. Conclusion: Regulatory measures should be implemented to ensure increased medicine access post-registration for new originators, especially for priority disease areas that benefit patients. Mental health diseases and improved access to oncology medicines require special attention and further investigation in South Africa

Exploring Cultural Competence amongst OT Students

Occupational therapy relies primarily on communication between the therapist and client for effective intervention. Adequate communication may be influenced by language and cultural differences between the therapist and client. Cultural competence in relation to language and culture is thus a vital part in practice. Limited research exists on cultural competence in occupational therapy students. This study thus aimed to explore the cultural competence of final year students and their perceptions of their own cultural competence, with respect to language and culture in their practice as students. An explorative qualitative study design was utilised with a nonprobability purposeful sample of 21 final year undergraduate students at a tertiary institute in South Africa. Three focus groups were conducted, comprising between 6 and 8 students in each group. Thematic analysis using inductive reasoning was undertaken in order to analyse the students’ experiences and understanding of cultural competence. Findings of the study suggest that cultural competence, in relation to language and culture, influences the occupational therapy intervention process. It was shown to both positively and negatively influence intervention through supporting or hindering rapport building, client centeredness, and effective intervention

Health-related quality of life dynamics of HIV-positive South African women up to ART initiation : evidence from the CAPRISA 002 acute infection cohort study.

CAPRISA, 2014.Few studies have investigated the long-term dynamics in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among HIV-positive persons from acute infection. From 2004, 160 women were enrolled into the CAPRISA 002 Acute Infection study at two sites in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and underwent 3–6 monthly HRQoL assessments using the functional assessment of HIV infection (FAHI) instrument. Overall and 5 sub-scale FAHI scores [physical well-being (PWB), emotional well-being (EWB), functional and global well-being (FGWB), social well-being (SWB) and cognitive functioning (CF)] were calculated up to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and scores at enrollment were compared to the acute, early and established infection phases. Mixed-effects regression models adjusting for behavioral and clinical factors were applied to assess HRQoL trends and the proportion of women meeting minimally important differences was calculated. Our analyses revealed that overall/sub-scale scores improved over time, except from PWB and CF. A higher educational status, contraceptive use and a higher BMI were the strongest predictors of higher overall/sub-scale FAHI scores. CD4 count and HIV viral load were strongly associated with PWB and CF, but not overall FAHI and other sub-scales. Women newly diagnosed with acute HIV infection face profound HRQoL challenges. While early ART delivery may be important for PWB and CF, factors such as education, contraception provision and good nutritional status should be promoted to maximize HRQoL in HIV positive individuals

The consequences of inadequate upfront consultation with communities on surface mining operations: a critical review

Abstract : According to Chapter 5 of the National Environmental Management Act of 1998, the application of appropriate environmental management tools should be promoted in order to ensure the integrated environmental management of activities, such as to ensure adequate and appropriate opportunity for public participation in decisions that may affect the environment and socio-economic status. However, it appears as if the Xolobeni community was denied that opportunity. This is confirmed in the submissions made by the community in court, where they stated that even before mining started, they already felt threatened, vulnerable, and completely left out of the process, which fast-tracked the awarding of mining rights to Transworld Energy and Minerals (TEM). An Australian mining giant, Mineral Resource Commodities’ (MRC) South African subsidiary, was granted the mining rights to mine titanium in the mineral-rich Xolobeni sand dunes on the pristine Wild Coast. According to the community, TEM made no effort to present to the community a proposal outlining their mitigation plan for the possible impacts of the mining activities on the families and community. Therefore, in the absence of such, the Xolobeni community has declined to give consent to any mining activities on their land. Although the community is well within its right in this respect, based on the aforementioned facts, the economic impact of exercising this right cannot be ignored. This study uses the Xolobeni case to assess the socio-economic consequences of inadequate upfront consultation with communities by companies wanting to conduct surface mining activities in their area. The findings indicate that the consequences of inadequate upfront consultation with communities extend beyond general discontent; they include the court battles, community divisions, violence, and financial implications