I wonder what and how much effort is prioritised for the sake of women in this industry. It is time that basics be dealt with by the Department of Mineral Resources to ensure that mining companies comply and meet basic needs for women by ensuring that pregnant women are not punished financially. Companies must pay their salaries with all benefits until formal maternity leave, irrespective of placement during pregnancy to avoid radiation. [Applause.] And there should be a supply of free sanitary towels in all mine clinics. Surely it's not an impossible need, given the cost of antenatal clinic services, which are by far a good thing and for many years have been free for all.
Another form of discrimination is the fact that some men do not want to work with women. They see them as lazy and incapable of mining work. Women also do not produce as much as men, and, as a result, they get lower bonuses. Women are moved informally by men to teams that get fewer bonuses. Women are seen as less willing to take risks and as stifling the work process because they are always cautious. They do not want to work in a substandard way which sometimes impacts on the bonus received by the teams. Women do not have the option of staying in hostels. They have to commute between work and their villages early in the morning every day and transport themselves to work, which is a daily challenge. Women are more prone to heatstroke and have to work under humid and hot conditions even when having their monthly periods. Lavatories are shared by both men and women and are unhygienic. Need I then remind this House that the founding provisions in Chapter 1(a) and 1(b) of the Constitution of South Africa states that:
1. The Republic of South Africa is one, sovereign, democratic state founded on the following values: a) Human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms. b) Nonracialism and nonsexism.
The control we are mentioning here as women is definitely not power- mongering for a position to head a household, but control and fairness in the rights of women in an industry that refuses to realise transformation for wealth earned in the industry.
It is time that the Department of Mineral Resources, with the Minister, gives priority to a budget allocation that will advance the emancipation of women in mines. We greatly and significantly contribute to the economic development and success of not only this country, but Africa and, very much so, globally as well. To break down these barriers of poverty, women need full support and improved working conditions, better positions and clear ownership rights in mines, not to mention the simple basic needs I already expanded on.
In 2009-10, the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate continued developing the skills and knowledge base of its staff members to meet new challenges posed by the restructuring process. Fourteen staff members in the inspectorate attended nine managerial and administrative courses, and five technical courses. In 2008-09, the inspectorate embarked on addressing skills shortages and past imbalances in the mining sector, by training 23 engineering and occupational hygiene learner inspectors and permanently employing one learner inspector.
1n 2009-10, the inspectorate offered 11 bursaries totalling R1 million to students in mine surveying and engineering. But it appears that the mining industry continues to lose skilled labour to better companies within the industry, not to mention the poorly monitored employment equity targets within the field.
There is a great deal of inequality when it comes to availability of opportunity to study. No recognition is given to the aspiring development of black mineworkers, and no efforts are visible to ensure that youngsters are drawn to the industry. Matters of studies and home oppression are still not in the same category. There is a very high failure rate of up to 100% in courses such as the mining management competency certificate. A high number of learners do not even end up sitting the exams. Most fail because of poor exposure. Once again, this is especially evident amongst black mining learners.
The Mining Qualifications Authority and the Mining Qualifications Framework yield no progress. The quality of training generally remains poor. On analysis of the material used, it might not necessarily be relevant to the needs. A mine health and safety summit in its action plan once suggested a school of excellence. This has not yet happened, suggesting then that a notion of this nature needs improved support from the department to ensure that there are measures taken to improve the present skills gap and stifled progress in the field.
None of the formerly so-called black universities has an engineering faculty in South Africa. The North West University in Mafikeng, for instance, does not have any specialised mining training.