MMG Khoemacau mine located in Toteng village in Northwest District is planning to increase intake of female employees as a commitment to addressing gender equity and systematic inequalities in the workplace.
Speaking during the company’s third celebration of cultural day at Zone 5 mine premises last week, the company’s Director of Operations, Weiquan Xia said increased female employees at the mine is one of the key areas that requires unwavering focus , “Because we cannot speak about building a sustainable future without addressing the importance of gender and equity and creating opportunities for women to participate and progress.”
Currently under MMG Khoemacau mine women occupy 16.8 percent of the workforce, but Xia expects this number to go up as their plan is to increase female candidates in future recruitments among others.
“To achieve this, we must commit to identifying and addressing barriers that hinder the advancement of women including unconscious bias and systematic inequalities,” pointed out Xia who also added that they further have to set measurable targets to hold the mine accountable for meaningful progress in this regard.
“By empowering more females to have the opportunity to thrive and unlock their full potential we are not only ensuring diversity of thoughts but also fostering innovation and resilience within our company.”
MMG took over Khoemacau mine about in April this year and according to Xia, this mine prides itself in celebrating employees who live and supports its values, which are “We think safety first, we respect each other, we do what we say, we work together, and we want to be better.”
Celebrating under the theme, “One world, One MMG: Celebrating Cultures, Building Futures”, Xia said it captured the very essence that their mine is a global organisation that employs diverse nationals, “It is all about the strength that lies in the collective talents, perspectives and experiences of our people. Our culture while diverse, unite us as one team, enabling us to overcome challenges, innovate and excel.”
In total 28 long service employees were given awards among them, 26 who have been with the company for five years and demonstrated exceptional commitment and the other two recipients are those who have reached a 10 year milestone.
Other awards went to Safety champions while 12 additional awards went to those who passed a random CEO quiz on the 100-day integration of MMG into Khoemacau and got a 100 percent pass.
Speaking at the same occasion the company’s Director for People and Communications, Mmama Mhlanga-Fichana acknowledged that it is not every day that companies get to appreciate their employees publicly hence the cultural day makes the workplace extra special as it provided that opportunity, “ This is not only a special occasion for all these employees, but it is for all of us Khoemacau because we do not often get the opportunity to publicly thank our staff for the many years of service that they have devoted to the company . Today is exactly about that- publicly acknowledging your loyalty, commitment and dedication over all these years.”
Encouraging employees to stay focused and committed to their jobs Fichana further advised leaders and heads of departments to be vigilant about keeping their best and brightest, “As HR (Human Resource) we must equip leaders with the skills needed to have effective stay conversation or stay interviews as they are an important element in preventing employee turnover, so we need to hold Stay conversations with our team members.”
Fichana was addressing every employer’s concern of job hopping which she said is made fashionable by continual search for better opportunities and new experiences “and this means staff seldom stay longer than a few years.”
Pointing at an emerging concern for mining industry, she noted that while it is a welcome development to see more companies expanding employee poaching is a worrying trend,” open pit mines going underground and employing some of the same mining methods as us, mechanised mining, and guess what, they are coming for ready-made talent, no one wants to start from scratch any more. And the best talent goes to the best bidder.”
Nonetheless she expressed hope that with the backing of MMG there is access to significant financial resources, which can help sustain operations and fund future projects, ensuring long-term stability for the company and its employees.
“By staying, you position yourself at the heart of a growing, globally connected company. You benefit from opportunities for development, stability, and the chance to shape the future of a significant mining operation . If you value growth, security and the ability to make a meaningful contribution, staying with Khoemacau under MMG leadership could be the right choice for you.”
