Media Release
11 July 2014 – Johannesburg: Laws regulating the resettlement of communities for mining projects may be poorly defined such that if they are used literally then neither the mining company nor the community are protected. This could result in delays to approvals that may affect the viability of operations or development projects, according to Robert Gyamfi, Community Relations and Social Responsibility Manager of Golden Star (Bogoso/Prestea) Limited, a subsidiary company of Golden Star Resources in Ghana.
Resettling communities is a negotiated process whereby the community and mining company reach an agreement acceptable to the stakeholders. The resettlement will then allow access to the mineral resources to the benefit of the community, the country and the mining company.
While the resettlements are legal and may be required to develop mineral resources, the task of achieving a negotiated resettlement agreement can be difficult. The aim of the resettlement negotiation is to minimize the risks for both the community and the mining company with the aim of developing a long-term partnership leading to improved community economic stability and a diversified local economy.
Gyamfi emphasised that it in large part the host communities grant a ‘social licence’ to companies wishing to develop and operate mines – which is beyond simply meeting all the legal requirements set by the host country.
Increasingly aware of how resettlement projects may affect this social licence, companies provide opportunities to build the capacity of their practitioners for practical and specific resettlement training. So Gyamfi recently completed the Community Relations Practice course offered by Synergy Global and Wits University’s Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry.
“This has given me greater confidence when working to develop partnerships with local communities in my role a community relations professional,” he said. “The documents we received while on the course also serve as a reference as we work to develop improved approaches to collaborating with our broad stakeholder base.”
The course is part of a training programme aimed to create a new generation of highly-skilled community relations practitioners who are sensitive to the challenges and solutions unique to the African context. Relevant content and creative training formats like role play and case studies ensure that what is learned can be directly applied in the workplace.
“Mining companies need specialised technical skills to properly manage resettlement negotiations and then their implementation,” said Gyamfi. “It is also important that we continue to see resettlement and other social and community work as a core function within the overall mining operation. We continue to work at embedding socioeconomics and community wellbeing into our day to day business.”
His role as a practitioner is to work within the customs and traditions of the community and the relevant legal framework aiming to identify needs and share information about the company’s operations and plans. As an ‘agent of change’, he discusses with communities how they see their priorities and helps to shape programmes and projects that can assist them to achieve their goals.
“Companies need to continue to develop a culture of information sharing with local stakeholder communities, and discussing their economic development priorities, programmes, performance, and challenges,” he said. “This approach creates a foundation of trust, which is vital for both parties, especially when regulations are vague about each party’s rights and responsibilities.”
Building trust helps to draw the company closer to its stakeholder communities so that they can communicate openly and build a positive relationship – starting with understanding community aspiration, customs, belief systems, and traditions.
Gyamfi said mining companies who recognize the need for a social licence are able to see more clearly how best to partner and pursue common goals with their stakeholder communities – right down to the level of identifying and developing appropriate social programmes and projects. They were also better equipped to identify potential social and development risks from a business perspective.
For more information about the Community Relations Practice in the Extractive Industry programme, please visit www.synergy-global.net/r/training.php. or www.csmi.co.za.
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About CSMIwww.wits.ac.za/csmi
The Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry (CSMI) is a global centre of excellence in Africa promoting good practice and good governance in the mining sector through research and capacity-building. Located at the University of the Witwatersrand, it acts as a bridge between academia and practitioners in the sector. Focussing primarily on occupational health and safety, environmental policy and governance and socio-economic development, its main activities include education and training across a range of accredited short courses and qualifications at a certificate and MSc level, particularly targeting continuous professional development for practitioners in both the public and private sector. It undertakes applied research projects which build the understanding of what works on the ground and underpins the content of the CSMI’s training programmes and capacity-building mandate. By providing a convening platform, the CSMI also offers an independent, authoritative space for dialogue and discussions of differing view-points on how to manage the sector responsibly.
About Synergy www.synergy-global.net
Synergy Global Consulting is a leading international consulting company on social issues in the natural resource sector, with offices in South Africa, the UK and with technical staff based in Paris, France. Synergy works with businesses operating in challenging environments to help them secure their long-term value by creating positive commercial and social outcomes through the way they work. Synergy has worked in 40 countries in the last ten years, including 16 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
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