Shift Boss Zinhle Nkabinde

Umphathi we-shift uNksz uZinhle Nkabinde

Zinhle Nkabinde becomes the first woman Shift Boss at Outcrop Shaft

A major milestone for transformation and gender empowerment was achieved for ZAC in January 2022 when Zinhle Nkabinde (38) was appointed as the first female shift boss at Outcrop Shaft. This capped off a major career milestone for Zinhle, who was also the first female Miner to work at Outcrop when she started her career as a miner in 2015.

Zinhle started at ZAC in 2007 as a Human Resources (HR) Officer, as she holds a Diploma in Human Resources Management. She served as an HR Officer until 2011 when she was appointed as a Payroll Officer.

“In 2015, I saw a notice advertising opportunities for people who wanted to study mining. I applied and was successful, and was sent to study at Colliery Training College, in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga. I returned later that year as a Learner Miner and in 2016 I was appointed officially as a Miner,” Zinhle states.

Zinhle recounts that her interest in mining started when she was working in HR and Payroll, where she would have to go underground to do labour verifications. She noticed that at the time there were very few women working underground. Zinhle vowed to herself that if the opportunity arose, she would jump at the opportunity.

Subsequently, she has achieved the first part of her goal and has attained several certificates including for Blasting, Continuous Miners, Gas Testing, Flame Proofing and Competent A (Roof Support).

“At first it was a challenge being the only woman miner as some men were suspicious of a woman working underground in the mine. My strategy from day one was to make sure that I did everything without fault. It was important to earn their respect and for them to respect me. I was fortunate to have good Mine Captains namely Bekkie Booyens and Richard Kleinhans, who were very supportive throughout the time I worked with them,” Zinhle states.

Zinhle says that both Bekkie and Richard said to her on her first day that she would not receive special treatment for being a female Miner and Zinhle was delighted to hear that. “I didn’t want to become a Miner to get special treatment, I always wanted to be there on merit and I performed every task and worked in every section just as my male colleagues did.”

Zinhle has also worked as a Continuous Miner Operator at Ngwabe shaft but is currently based at Outcrop. Zinhle says that the thrill of drilling and blasting, safely and cost-efficiently every day in a production shaft is something she enjoys immensely. She adds that the number of women working at the mine had increased markedly over the last few years. This was attributable to Menar and ZAC’s active efforts to promote women in mining throughout the operation.

“ZAC has granted me a fantastic opportunity and I am proud to be leading a team now. I hope that my story will encourage other women and young girls to make mining a career option for them. Women not only survive in mining but we can also thrive if we are given the opportunity to do so. I believe that perseverance is the mother of all hope. I still have many milestones and goals that I want to achieve to become a Mine Captain and then someday to be a Mine Manager,” she concludes.

UNKSZ uZinhle Nkabinde ungowesifazane wokuqala ukulawula ama-shift e-Outcrop Shaft

Kufezeke isifiso sokuletha uguquko nokufukula abantu besifazane e-ZAC ngoMasingana 2022, ngesikhathi uNksz uZinhle Nkabinde (38) eqokwa njengowesifazane wokuqala ukuba umphathi we-shift e-Outcrop Shaft. Lokhu kwengeze kokukhulu osekwenziwe uNksz Nkabinde, njengoba ebe ngowokuqala wesifazane ukusebenza njengomvukuzi e-Outcrop ngesikhathi eqala ngo-2015. 

UNksz Nkabinde uqale e-ZAC ngo-2007 ophikweni lakwaNdabazabantu esebenza njenge-Human Resources Officer njengoba eneziqu zeHuman Resources Management. Usebenze njengeHR Officer kwaze kwaba u-2011 lapho eqashwe khona njengePayroll Officer.

“Ngo-2015 ngabona isikhangiso lapho kwakufuneka khona abantu ababezofundela ukuvukuza. Ngafaka isicelo, ngaphumelela, ngase ngithunyelwa ukuyofunda eColliery Training College, eMalahleni, eMpumalanga. Ngabuya kuwona lowo nyaka ngaba iLearner Miner, kwathi ngo-2016 ngaqashwa ngokuphelele enkampanini,” kuchaza uNksz Nkabinde.

UNksz Nkabinde ukhumbula ukuthi uthando lwakhe kwezokuvukuza lwaqala ngesikhathi esasebenza ophikweni lakwaNdabazantu lapho kwakumele ashone phansi ezimayini eyoqinisekisa izinto ezithile. Waqaphela ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi babembalwa abesifazane ababesebenza phansi emgodini. Wabe esefunga egomela ukuthi uma ithuba livela nakanjani uyoligxumela. 

Njengamanje useyifezile ingxenye yokuqala yephupho lakhe, futhi usethole izitifiketi eziningana okubalwa kuzona eseBlasting, Continous Miners, Gas Testing, Flame Proofing neseCompetent A (iRoof Support).

“Ekuqaleni kwakuyinselelo ukuba nguyena yedwa owesifazane osebenza njengomvukuzi  ngoba amanye amadoda ayeshaya amakhala ngokuthi owesifazane asebenze phansi emgodini. Iqhinga lami kusuka ngosuku lokuqala, kwaba ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ngenza yonke into ngaphandle kwamaphutha.

“Kwakubalulekile ukuthi ngibenze bangethembe. Ngaba nenhlanhla yokuthi nganginokaputeni abahle kakhulu, uBekkie Booyens noRichard Kleinhans, ababengeseka ngaso sonke isikhathi engasisebenza nabo,” kusho uNksz Nkabinde.

Uthe bobabili uBooyens noKleinhans bamtshela ngosuku lwakhe lokuqala ukuthi ngeke athole impatho ehlukile ngoba nakhu engowesifazane, nokuyinto ayijabulela. “Ngangingafuni ukuba umvukuzi ukuze ngiphathwe ngendlela ehlukile. Ngangifuna ukuba laphaya ngoba kungifanele futhi ngenza yonke imisebenzi, ngasebenza kuzona zonke izindawo njengabo bonke ozakwethu besilisa.”

UNksz Nkabinde useke wasebenza njenge-Continuous Miner Operator eNgwabe kodwa okwamanje uzinze e-Outcrop. Uthi ukubhodloza nokuqhumisa akwenza nsuku zonke ngaphansi emajukujukwini, kuyamthokozisa kakhulu. Wengeze ngokuthi isibalo sabesifazane abasebenza  emayini sesinyukile kakhulu kule minyaka edlule. Kulokhu ubonge iMenar ne-ZAC ngemizamo yabo yokukhuphula abesifazane kwezokuvukuza, ngendlela abahlela ngayo.

“I-ZAC seyinginike ithuba eliyingqayizivele futhi ngiyaziqhenya ngokuhola ithimba njengamanje. Ngicabanga ukuthi udaba lwami luzogqugquzela abanye abesifazane namantombazane asemancane ukuthi enze ezokuvukuza zibe yikusasa kubona. 

“Abesifazane abagcini nje ngokubambelela bahlale ezimayini kodwa siyakwazi ukuphumelela uma sinikwa ithuba lokwenza lokho. Ngicabanga ukuthi ukuphikelela nokubheka phambili iyona into ebaluleke kakhulu. 

“Ngisabheke phambili nginamaphupho nezinto engifuna ukuzifeza ukuze ngibe ukaputeni wemayini, bese ngelinye ilanga ngibe yimenenja yemayini,” kugoqa uNksz Nkabinde.