growth

WEST A Xstrata Alloys Group newsletter for the communities in which it operates September 2011

Meet the cast in the Xstrata Allstars!

The Rustenburg Business Support Centre, an initiative funded by Xstrata Alloys and launched in May this year, is part of the company’s community and social responsibility programme. The Centre was established to help historically disadvantaged businesses to become sustainable and profitable, and to ensure a return on investment for the funders of these businesses.

Xstrata Alloys CSI and enterprise development manager, Naas Fischer, says that the aim of the Centre is to equip local businesses with the skills so that they can take care of issues that they couldn’t before because of the disadvantages of the past.

“This project is part of our responsibility to address the inequalities of the past. The intention is to bring small black emerging businesses into mainstream procurement opportunities,” said Fischer.

Small business support in a big way

The Centre is run by Sage Wise, a company with much experience in socio-economic growth and development. Fischer says Xstrata Alloys teamed up with Sage Wise because of their expertise in mentoring small emerging businesses and providing them with skills that can one day see them standing on their own and surviving in a competitive market.

At the Business Support Centre, SMMEs are given support in just some of the following areas:

•Skillsdevelopmentinbusiness,financial, risk and time management;

•Guidanceonhowtocomplywith statutory requirements and submissions; and

•Developmentoffeasibilitystudies,business plans, due diligence reports and business profiles.

Sage Wise’s Pierre van der Merwe, founder of the Business Support Centre concept, says their slogan “Wealth created through knowledge” is the foundation on which the Centre was established.

He knows too well that small companies often suffer because, even though they have all the right equipment to start a business, no-one teaches them how to run a company properly.

“It’s wrong to just build infrastructure, find entrepreneurs and give them working capital. We need to teach them how to run a business, and that’s how you create a sustainable company which will eventually bring you wealth,” says van der Merwe.

“People cannot be trained in a day or a month, it is a process,” said Fischer.

The Centre aims to create business-minded young leaders who will leave the programme with the skills to run a successful company.

“We teach enterprise development, business planning and how to set up a business. Then we take them through practical training and the sessions go on for as long as the participant needs them,” said van der Merwe.

A boardroom, a personal assistant and internet access is made available to SMMEs registered with the Centre if the need arises. Currently there are 15 SMMEs registered on the programme.

Pierre says they plan to build a database of all SMMEs in the Bojanala municipality which will be available on the server of the Business Support Centre.

“This will help the municipality, mines - anyone who has a tender - to look for companies in the area with relevant expertise,” said van der Merwe.

The success of this project will also see this initiative being rolled out to other municipalities in Rustenburg in the near future.

Sagewise employees

September 2011 • Xstrata Alloys Group newsletter for the communities in which it operates • Page 3

Jan Mabaso started Sizane Security Services in 1999. Before that he worked in the mining industry doing investigation work and he decided to try and make a living from doing this sort of work for himself. He was not making a living out of only investigative work and broadened his scope to provide security services. Without any capital to speak of he struggled to grow his business and even had to sell his car to pay salaries and keep his doors open for business.

Then an opportunity came up to tender for providing security services at one of Xstrata’s operations in Rustenburg and Mabaso submitted a proposal. A well-established security company was awarded the bulk of the tender, but a portion was ring-fenced to give Sizane an opportunity to do some of the security work for Xstrata. The ring-fencing approach adopted by Xstrata allows for a small part of a large tender to be set aside for a small BEE service provider in an effort to develop business skills. The terms of the agreement included a commitment by the larger company to mentor Sizane and share the experience it had gained from years of running large security contracts.

In early 2007 Sizane started provided seven security guards on the Xstrata site. Two years later Mabaso was employing over 50 guards for security work at Xstrata’s Rustenburg plant and today he has over 65 guards in place.

“Xstrata put me on my feet again,” said Mbaso. “They sent people to help me assess what I needed to run my business well. They helped me purchase vehicles by providing a soft loan that I could also use to buy uniforms for my staff.”

Mabaso is now also an accredited trainer with SASSETA and provides security and safety training. All his employees are trained and accredited security guards. He trains more people than he needs and keeps their details on his database so that he can call on them at a moment’s notice. As one of only a few accredited SASSETA trainers in Rustenburg, Jan is aiming to grow the training side of his business.

In addition to providing security guards for Xstrata, Mabaso also has a number of smaller clients he services in Rustenburg. His business premises consist of three offices and a lecture room.

Mabaso commented: “Xstrata does a very good thing - putting small companies with big ones gives everybody a chance.”

Ring-fencing approach gives security to Sizane

Jan Mabaso owner of Sizane security

Kroondal is an underground chrome mine and beneficiation plant in the Bushveld Complex, close to Rustenburg. The operation has around 730 employees.

Like any other mine in South Africa, Kroondal has a social and labour plan (SLP) in place which guides the development of skills in the workplace as well as how and where money is invested in the surrounding communities. The existing SLP comes to an end in December andthe mine has to submit a new five-year plan. Kroondal has been audited twice by the Department of MineralResources on the implementation of its SLP and has been found to be compliant on all indicators.

Lilian Wolmarans, the community liaison officer at Kroondal Mine, explains that the projects which formed part of the current SLP were focused on poverty alleviation and jobcreation in linewith theGovernment’sgrowthand development objectives.

Enterprise development is about more than just providing the finance for setting up a small business. In many cases the SMMEs are not even registered. The mine assists with skills development by providing financial and management training; finds opportunities for the company to procure goods and services from the SMMEs; and links the various businesses so that they support each other.

The Mother of Life sewing project was started by five ladies in the community and has now grown to a complement of nine. The mine built the small business premises, provided funding for the equipment and start-up stock and assisted with skills development and marketing. Mother of Life has developed a regular client base and provides school uniforms, corporate clothing and protective clothing for local businesses.

Cedric Lesele, a young entrepreneur and platinum jewellery designer, owns Phase of Platinum Jewellers which is based at the Rustenburg Tourism Centre. Cedric studied at Orbit FET College in Rustenburg and qualified as a hairdresser. He soon turned his artistic ability to jewellery design and manufacture, specialising in platinum jewellery. His was an existing business when Kroondal offered to buy additional equipment and to sponsor advertising of his jewellery. The mine wants Cedric to open his business to a skills transfer programme where he can train other young people who want to pursue a career in jewellery design and manufacturing.

Kroondal mine contributed towards the buildings and the perimeter fencing of the Tourism Centre, including the stalls which provide business space for SMMEs. The small arts and crafts shop opposite Cedric’s has also been supported by the mine.

Another SLP project for this mine is the SMME Park, which is situated at Ferro Street in the Zinniaville Industrial area.

Sustainable community development and empowerment

Kroondal SLP Projects

A joint effort between Xstrata Alloys and the Rustenburg municipality, the SMME Park is aimed at supporting small business development. The municipality provided the land and the fencing while the company invested around R2.5 million for the building of the SMME Park, which consists of six units. Two of the units have been allocated to the municipality to fill while Xstrata has secured tenants for the remaining four.

The tenants are required to pay a minimal rental fee to cover the maintenance costs for the fully serviced facilities.

Reggy Dube started Reggy Signs and Painters in herbackyard. She is one of the first tenants in the SMME Park and Kroondal sponsored her new printing equipment. She does all the signage for the mine.

Keba Shades, a steelwork manufacturer, is the second occupant of the SMME Park. Owner and manager, Keba Moloi, says they make a large range of steel products from carports, gates and trailers to more complex steel civil structures and weigh bridges. He employs 13 people in his factory, of which four are women. Kroondal assisted Keba to buy the equipment he needed for his growing business.

The mine has learnt a lot from the implementation of its first SLP. It is very important to understand the needs of communities before deciding on projects and to work closely with the local municipalities.

For the next phase the mine will probably focus on the development of infrastructure in Ikamaleng, such as the building of roads so that the municipality can build housing.

Cedric Lesele with Lilian Wolmarans of Kroondal

Members of the Mother of Life sewing project

Xstrata investing in computer smart teachers

The programme is aimed at equipping teachers in rural areas so that they can be more productive and efficient educators and so they can transfer computer skills to their own learners. With the help of theNorthWestprovince’sDepartmentofEducation, 50 schools have been selected for the project that has seen a dramatic improvement in teachers’ abilities to operate a computer.

The first phase, which was launched in August 2010, also created jobs when trainers were recruited from the communities to assist with the project.

There are 13 trainers who dedicate their afternoons to travelling to schools around Rustenburg and teaching computer literacy to educators. Xstrata has sponsored R2 million for the training phase of the project, which includes making sure that all the necessary hardware is available in the schools so that the training can happen without a hitch.

DieketsengMofokengfromKagisoActive,says the first phase of the project has been a success. “We have learned a lot in terms of scheduling our time properly so that we don’t clash with the activities of the department, and how to maintain and manage the computer labs so that everything is functional,” said Mofokeng.

E-Skills4Teachers, an initiative by Xstrata Alloys and Kagiso Active, has brought computer skills and technical confidence to teachers around Rustenburg.

The second phase of the project, which started in June 2011 with a budget of R4.3 million.

“When we first started with this programme, most of the teachers didn’t even know how to hold or use a mouse. We needed to start from scratch,” said Mofokeng. Now most of them can now type their own question papers.

“It is great to see the wonderful and positive difference that this programme has brought to the schools,” adds Mofokeng.

TheDepartmentofEducationhasofferedits facilities for training purposes and they keep a record of attendance to make sure that the selected schools participate.

The programme, offered in both English and Tswana, currently provides a total of 27 sessions per teacher for three hours a day. At the end of the training the teachers will be expected to write an exam. Those who pass will get a certificate accredited by the British Computer Society.

“The reason for this is to make sure that we reach our programme target of 85% pass rate,” said Mofokeng.

Since joining the programme in January, Bontle Katane, one of the programme’s dedicated trainers, offers training to 81 teachers and principals from schools around the Modikwe village.

“When I first began with the training, the teachers were very discouraged. Some of them were even scared to touch the computer, it was a foreign concept to them,” said Katane.

But with her friendly and fun approach to teaching, she has managed to replace their fears with confidence and positive thinking. “I made them confess their fears and face them head-on. They all pledged that by the end of the programme they will be computer fundis, and that approach worked miracles,” explains Katane.

Her biggest challenge, she said, has been trying to teach older educators to let go of their insecurities and accept that they need help to improve their teaching methods.

Her ultimate goal is to see all her students type their own question papers and use technology to make teaching fun for their learners.

“I’ve taught them how to use projectors and do PowerPoint presentations to make

learning easier and fun. Some of them didn’t even know that such programmes were available,” adds Katane.

Thato Mohibidu, who trains a much younger group than Katane’s, says she attributes her success to promoting the culture of teamwork.

“I don’t stand there and bark instructions, we all work as a team and that helps eliminate the chances of someone getting lost during the class,” said Mohibidu.

She says the programme has not only helped improve the quality of teaching in classrooms, but has contributed to the community at large.

“Some of these teachers are community leaders and church elders, so learning how to do presentations and organise documents has helped them in other aspects of their lives,” she adds.

The trainers are hoping to soon see all their hard work in exam papers typed by computer savvy teachers.

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Xstrata PLC announced a stronger financial performance as demand starts to grow again for theGroup’sproducts - Xstrata Alloys’ ferrochrome production drops by 4%

XstrataGroupshowsimprovementin performance, but Xstrata Alloys suffers

Sustainability rests on three pillars of development: economic, social and environmental. For a company to be in a position to make a meaningful contribution to the social upliftment of local communities, it has to be a successful commercial entity.

The Xstrata Group operates across 21countries around the world and in seven major international commodity markets: copper, coking coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, nickel, vanadium and zinc, amongst others.

Chief Executive Officer of Xstrata plc, Mick

Davis, said thatoperationalperformance

improved in the second quarter of

the year.

This was largely because of an increased

demandfortheGroup’svariousproducts

as economies are recovering slowly from

the global recession experienced over the

last few years.

In South Africa, Phase II of the Lion

ferrochrome plant and the Tswelopele

pelletising plant project remain on budget

and on schedule. Both these projects are

designed to improve energy efficiency

and reduce operating costs, reinforcing

our position as the lowest cost chrome

producer in South Africa.

The conversion of Eland platinum mine

into a major underground operation is

also on track to commission at the end

of 2015.

Mick Davis said that the Group was

recovering well from the global economic

recession and the work done in the first

halfoftheyearmeanttheGroupwason

track to deliver an even stronger second

half performance. As global economies

continue to improve, Xstrata is well-

positioned to continue to deliver value to

its shareholders.

Xstrata Alloys

The amount of ferrochrome produced in Xstrata’s South African operations fell by 4% in the first half of 2011 compared to the first six months of 2010. This was because there was work to be done on a number of the furnaces which increased costs and lowered efficiencies.

Production of ferrovanadium dropped by 10% compared to the first six months of 2010, because of a planned two week maintenance shutdown during this time.

The price that the company can get for ferrochrome on the international market changed from quarter to quarter and this affected the revenue.

Eland produced less platinum group metals (PGMs)inthefirsthalfoftheyearbecauseof permitting delays and blasting restrictions for the open pit operation. Mining restarted in the second quarter.

The development of both decline shafts at the Eland underground mine is progressing well with a total of 7,650 metres developed to date and the bulk of the surface infrastructure completed. Initial production from the first operating level is expected during the last quarter of 2011.

The Mototolo joint venture managed to maintain its production levels of around 200,000 tonnes per month.

Nature of operationRhovan is an integrated operation (mine and plant) producing vanadium pentoxide and ferrovanadium for local and international markets.

Age of operationMining started in 1989 and acquired by Xstrata Alloys in 1997.

Capacity9800 tonnes of V2O5 per annum

Full-time employees481

Contractors200

OwnershipThe Bakwena-Ba-Mogopa Traditional Community has a 26% interest in Rhovan which is owned by Xstrata Alloys. The pooling and sharing venture (PSV) means that both parties have agreed to put their assets together for the purpose of mining while still keeping individual ownership, and to share in the earnings of the operation.

Profile:

Rhovan Mine

It is not a new mine and there are no major expansion plans on the cards, but there is a definite sense of achievement when you visit Rhovan mine. This may have something to do with the fact that Rhovan had a record production year in 2010, producing 9 922 tonnes of vanadium.

It may also be because of the recently signed joint venture with the Bakwena-Ba-Mogopa Traditional Community which now has a 26% stake in the operation.

Then there is the projects team - with an established drawing office and workshop - that is successfully tackling projects that previously would have been outsourced to contractors at a much higher cost.

It is probably a combination of these and other exciting things that are happening at the operation, which are all aimed at containing costs and improving efficiencies. The focus at Rhovan is on continuous improvement. Everyone working at the operation has the responsibility and opportunity to contribute to this process.

About Rhovan and vanadium

The opencast Rhovan operation is mining a vanadium deposit within the well-known Bushveld Complex in the North West province. Based on what the operation knows of current ore reserves, Rhovan – which first started mining in 1989 and was purchased by Xstrata in 1997 - will continue to produce vanadium for more than fifty years.

Ferrovanadium is an alloy which, even in small amounts, makes steel stronger. Vanadium steel is lighter and stronger and is used to produce specially steel alloys, like those used in the aerospace industry.

Vanadium in its chemical form is used to make sulphuric acid and fertilizers; it is used in sunglasses to protect eyes from ultraviolet light, and in the manufacture of synthetic rubber. Coatings containing vanadium phosphate improve the quality of red light on television and computer screens. Vanadium salts are used to make dyes for material, leather and ceramics.

Sound environmental management

A chemical process is used to produce ferrovanadium, which is why management at Rhovan has a strong focus on the operation’s impact on the environment.

The operation received the international ISO14001 environmental certification in 2002 and is guided by Xstrata’s 17SustainableDevelopmentStandards.

A zero-discharge policy at Rhovan ensures that no solution containing sodium or vanadium is released from the operation.

Ground and ground water pollution are the biggestenvironmental challenges. Water management is important and there are several initiatives to ensure that there is zero run-off from the plant.

One such initiative is the recently built R20 million lined storm water dam which is intended to catch rain water and run-off from the operation for reuse in the plant. The dam is specially designed with alternating layers of plastic and clay to ensure that there is no contamination of ground water from the water that is stored in the dam.

GeneralManager,AdriaanBrugmansaysthatfindingwaysto reduce the operation’s footprint on the environment is always important when designing new technology or implementing capital projects.

Leaders walking the talk in safety

When the number of lost time injuries increased in 2010, Rhovan management decided to implement a visible felt leadership (VFL) campaign to support their existing safety initiatives.

If senior managers actively talk to employees about safety they will identify issues that may be causing risky behaviour but it will also show that management is serious about safety. The initiative has only been in place for less than a yearbutGeneralWorksManager,AdriaanBrugman,says:“We are already starting to see the benefit in our safety statistics and in the attitude of our employees to working safely.”

It is just as important to ensure that supervisors are properly trained to provide a safe work place for employees.

Brugman says they spend a lot of time on housekeeping at the operation, and for good reason. “I really believe that a pleasant work environment makes people more motivated to work better, smarter and safer.”

Doingitforthemselves

“We have saved millions by doing it ourselves,” says Rhovan’sGeneralWorksManagerAdriaanBrugmanasheproudly shows off their newly-built projects workshop.

Since the operation established the project team, built the workshop and upgraded the drawing room, most of the projects at the mine and plant are done in-house and contractors are only brought in for specialist projects.

The plant infrastructure is getting old and many of the structures need to be replaced or upgraded. This is keeping the project team very busy. They are also in the process of building a new crusher plant.

Most of the mining is done in-house, with only drilling and blasting contracted out. Similarly, the mine has chosen to run its own fleet of heavy earth-moving equipment and mining vehicles instead of outsourcing because it is more cost-efficient.

Social and Labour Plans

The Rhovan operation draws most of its labour from the nearby local villages of Makolokwe, Bethanie, Modikwe and Barseba. It makes sense, therefore, for these communities to be the focus of the mine’s social and labour plan (SLP) and social investment spend.

Over the next few years, the focus of Xstrata’s investment in Rhovan’s local communities will be infrastructure development and the mine is finalising the details of a partnershipwiththelocalDepartmentofHealthtobuildan R11 million clinic in Bethanie.

Meet Rhovan’s Works Manager

Recently appointed to the position of Works Manager, Thivhafuni Tshithavhane (or Thivha as he is known to friends and colleagues), has a list of responsibilities that extend way beyond those he had when he started with the operation as a Junior Chemical Engineer in 2002.

Tshithavhane has to ensure that the highest quality vanadium is produced to meet production targets, safely and within budget. He is also responsible for sustainable development - especially health and safety management, stakeholder engagement, including industrial relations, and ensuring that the operation is compliant with all the relevant national and international regulatory requirements aswellasXstrata’sSustainableDevelopmentStandards.

Rhovan doesn’t believe in “office engineers”. Tshithavhane told us that the hands-on approach to development at the operation has given him the skills and experience to progress up the management ladder.

It was important for South Africa’s first democratic government to put regulations in place in the mining industry to make it more inclusive and Tshithavhane firmly believes that transformation in the industry will lead to greater economic development of the country.

Thirty three-year old Tshithavhane has plans to study further. He believes that you should always be ready to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way and would like to improve his financial management skills or complete an MBA.

GeneralManager:RhovanAdriaan Brugman

Works Manager: Thivha TshithavhaneWelder Jonas Maepa, at Rhovan’s project workshop

Care with dignityTheTapologoHospiceisa24-hourin-patientfacilityinRustenburgthatcatersforAIDS,cancer and other terminally ill patients.

Xstrata Alloys adopted the hospice for three years as part of its corporate social responsibility programme and donates a sum of R1.2 million each year for the ongoing management of the facility.

The hospice works with home-based caregivers and nine satellite clinics around Rustenburg to assist with the management of patients who need the support of the hospice facility. The home-based caregivers identify those in the local communities who are very ill and send them to the hospice for a maximum of two weeks to receive the care they need. Other patients are referrals from hospitals which can no longer provide the assistance needed by the terminally ill patients.

Xstrata’s funding covers the day-to-day costs of running the hospice, from payments for cleaning services, electricity and water bills and the maintenance of the building to providing patients with the correct medicine.

Nursing manager Hilda de Bees runs the hospice with the help of four caregivers and three registered nurses.

“Xstrata has given us an opportunity to run this hospice at no cost to the patients. This has helped a great deal in taking care of people who have no means of managing their illnesses from home,” said de Bees.

The hospice is situated in a remote and peaceful area away from the noise of the city. DeBeessaidthishelpsnotonlytogivethepatientstheresttheyneed,butalsohelpstokeep them away from the stigma associated with people living with HIV/Aids.

“The hospice offers our patients a sense of peace and they don’t have to deal with roving eyes from people who judge them based on their illnesses. It’s been great working with Xstrata in making sure that we uphold our patients’ dignities,” said de Bees.

Hilda de Beers, nursing manager at Tapdogo Hospice

HIV&Me showing results amongst the youth

The aim of the programme was to help educators communicate messages about HIV and Aids so that young people between the ages of 12 to 15 years are empowered to make responsible and informed choices about their health and sexual behaviour.

The programme also uses the Outcomes Based Education approach and provides lesson plans, learner worksheets and assessments that are easily included in the existing school curriculum.

Natural Science (NS) and Life Orientation (LO) teachers are trained on the programme and are also coached and monitored during their in-classroom delivery of the lessons to their learners.

The feedback received so far from the training has been encouraging with very constructive responses from the learners. However, an independent assessment was done to confirm if the programme is having a positive impact on the learners.

Out of the schools that were trained in 2009, 15% of them were chosen for the assessment. The assessment was based on a study by the Human Sciences Research Council which found that some individuals, including the youth, might not believe they are at risk of HIV because they do not have correct knowledge with regards to HIV transmission.

The results of the assessment showed that of the 158 learners that responded to the statement “You can protect yourself from HIV by using a condom during

sex”, 82% said the statement was true. 83% of the learners responded positively to the statement that “After attending the HIV&Me lessons I now understand that girls can carry condoms too and think it is a good thing” while 78% of the learners felt more confident to ask a partner to use protection.

The focus group sessions highlighted a definite shift in attitude towards people living with Aids as a result of a better understanding of how HIV is transmitted.

In March and April 2010, Xstrata again partnered with HIV&Me in 10 schools in the area surrounding Bethanie in the North West Province.

Teachers themselves are grateful for the knowledge, skills and content they now have to train their learners on HIV and Aids. While the skills level of some of the teachers in the region can still be developed further, the teachers’ ability to follow the lesson plans and deliver the information has been encouraging.

TheHeadofDepartmentofBa-MogopaMiddleSchoolsaid they felt honoured to be included in the list of schools which participated in the programme. He said the programme has also helped teachers to deal with HIV/ infected learners in their classrooms.

Principal Paile from Makopole II Secondary School said he hopes that the programme will help to change the mindsets of people in the community. “I believe that this is the beginning of great and good things to come,” he said.

In 2009, Xstrata Alloys went into partnership with HIV&Me to bring

HIV and Aids prevention and management training skills to teachers at

17 schools in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.

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Our future engineers

Ukuqonda students at a function to meet the Xstrata Alloys CEO at the company’s head office

Professor Piet Human left

Stellenbosch University in 1995 to

devote his life to empowering young

people with skills that will help them

make a positive contribution to the

country.

As he puts it: “We live in an enormously rich country in terms of mineral resources and people, but we are not yet managing to use these resources properly.”

His contribution to enriching the country’s potential and resources can be seen in the work he has done in the past seven years at the Ukuqonda Tertiary Bridging Programme in Rustenburg.

The programme, which was officially launched in 2004, has a pass rate of over 80% with most graduates enrolling into universities to further their studies. This has made Ukuqonda one of the most successful post-matric programmes in the country, with a high demand for enrolment each year.

Ukuqonda not only focuses on Mathematics and Science, but also provides assistance with other subjects and life skills training that will help the students once they leave the programme. Professor Human emphasised that the programme seeks to close the large gap between secondary and tertiary education and reduce the first year drop out rate.

“We run a very strict programme which ensures that an A student stays an A student and can handle the load of work that is thrown at them at universities,” said Human.

With so many potential engineers and scientists at Ukuqonda, it’s not surprising that Xstrata Alloys came on board to fund the programme.

GroupGeneralManagerCommunitySocialResponsibility,Steve Makgoba explained that one of the reasons Xstrata supports this programme is because of concern over the shortfall of qualified engineers in the country.

An aspiring civil engineering student from Rustenburg, Busisiwe Phinda speaks highly of the programme which she joined while she was in Grade 10. Besides theknowledge she has gained academically, Phinda says she’s more thankful for the life skills lessons she learnt which have made her a more confident person.

“More than anything, Ukuqonda has taught me that I can do anything and be whoever I want to be through

believing in my talents and myself,” said Phinda. “I now know that I have leadership qualities that I never knew existed, and one day I will run my own company and give back to my community the way that they are doing right now.”

Though Phinda doesn’t have a bursary yet, she’s hopeful that her good grades and determination will work in her favour to secure financial assistance. She plans to study and work part-time to increase her chances of getting a job once she completes her degree.

“I joined Ukuqonda because I didn’t want to throw myself in the deep end by rushing to university. I will leave here as a more powerful person and the people at university will be shocked,” said Phinda.

Fellow student Thabang Mohlala, also an engineering student, said it feels good to be part of a programme that helps them determine their own careers.

“Our teachers don’t spoon feed us; we are taught to do things for ourselves and tackle challenges like big boys and girls. This has helped me to see the great potential that I have,” said Mohlala.

“We are helping these young people become the writers of their own stories,” adds Human.

Prof Piet Human with some of the studentsXstrata Alloys CSI Manager Steve Makgoba (standing left), Xstrata Alloys CEO Peet Nienaber (third right, standing), Prof Piet Human, Principal of Ukuqonda (second from right) together with students and teachers from the programme

Page 8 • Xstrata Alloys Group newsletter for the communities in which it operates • August 2011