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January - February 2016
MODERN QUARRYING
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A range of products built on the foundation of quality and durability ® Investing in diversified growth Aggregates Industrial Minerals Contracting International Concrete Products Readymix Afrimat Limited is a leading black empowered open pit mining company providing an integrated product offering ranging from aggregates, industrial minerals, concrete products (bricks, blocks and pavers) to readymix concrete. Afrimat has established a strong foothold in contracting services comprising mobile crushing, screening,drilling and blasting. Backed by more than 45 years’ experience, Afrimat listed on the JSE Limited in 2006. As part of its continued diversification strategy, the group is expanding its footprint into Africa. The group’s capabilities enable Afrimat to service projects of any scale from major infrastructure and construction projects for state-owned enterprises and parastatals through to small private sector contracts. Tel +27 21 917 8840 Fax +27 21 914 1174 info@afrimat.co.za www.afrimat.co.za“We had a marking sheet and concen-
trated on three of four things – the first
of which was the legal requirements. This
was in the early days when you had to
produce an EMPR, which was an entirely
new development for industry. Then we
looked at the quarry and its impact on
the environment and how it might be
improved. We looked at the plant in the
same way and also the overall environ-
mental situation.
“Then we needed certificates and
shields. We decided to use the Fish Eagle
because that was a South African bird
and we obtained permission from the
John Voelcker Trust (publisher of the
Roberts Birds of Southern Africa) to use
the Fish Eagle pictured in their book, and
we designed shields for the appropriate
number of Fish Eagles.
“The top award was the Showplace
Award, and over the years quite a few
quarries reached that status,” he says.
“Otherwise they got a 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 Fish
eagles, and we had an interim one right
at the beginning for those quarries that
really hadn’t a clue but were willing to try.”
The About Face programme was
“very gingerly ventured into in 1993, with
one of the earliest judges being Arnold
Jubber, who had retired as CEO of Hippo
Quarries. “To set a standard, I tried to get
someone from the Nature Conservation
Department and they were tremendously
helpful, and also from the Natal Parks
Board and the Parks Board in Gauteng.
They were wonderful in providing people
to come around the quarries,” Sir Rupert
recalls. “Most of them had never seen a
quarry, but they knew something about
the environment and that was the idea.”
A representative from the Department
of Mines was also included, whom,
according to Sir Rupert, was “mostly
clueless, but they found it interesting to
be around people who weren’t actually
mining. However, we also had to make
sure that they didn’t notice things that
shouldn’t have been there so that they
wouldn’t have a go at the quarries after-
wards, in terms of legislation,” he adds.
“The whole idea was for us to talk
about the environment and not about
the nuts and bolts legislation in a quarry
plant. I also tried to have someone from
the local municipality and if there was
any particular environmental person
available, I latched on to them as well.
Arnold and I travelled many thousands of
miles around the country, staying in funny
places, and we picked up these teams as
we went along.”
Interestingly, in 1993 there were 39
quarries that participated in the About
Face programme, which increased to 44
and remained close to this figure for sev-
eral years.
Report and photographs
unless otherwise accredited, by Dale Kelly.
HISTORICAL
FEATURE