Blasting to the top in a man's world

| Friday September 24, 2010 00:00

ORAPA: Masego Keleadile, who is now a Mining Engineer, maintains that it was not an easy road to get to where she is today. She and two other women came in 2005 as fresh graduates and joined Orapa and Letlhakane Mines.

The petite Keleadile holds a degree in Mining Engineering from Leeds University in the United Kingdom where she went after Debswana sponsored her for A-levels at Maruapula Secondary School in Gaborone.

'The degree is broad as it covers the basics of mining, mine transport, electronics, drilling and blasting, loading and hauling, the environment, geology and more,' she says. 'It's bits and pieces of everything.'

Keleadile says the remarks that she received after she presented a shoddy paper when she was on the learner's official programme suggested that she could not make it because she was a woman. But instead of giving up, she worked harder to achieve what she had set out to achieve.

'What you do at university and what you do here is totally different,' she says. 'The paper that I presented at the panel review was rubbish, but hearing that the feeling was that this was a man's job devastated me, and I decided to work harder.'

Keleadile is currently a Strategic Business Planner, a position that was 'not child's play' to arrive at.

'What I am doing now is the strategy of business planning. I have to plan for business for the next year, and the next one and for the life of the mine.'

Keleadile states that she first had to acquire a blasting licence, which requires 75 shifts, studying and writing tests.'Yes, I also had to learn how to blast,' she repeats for emphasis. After receiving her licence, Keleadile became a drilling and blasting supervisor, then moved on to become mine foreman, after satisfying bosses at each stage, she says.

'As a foreman, I was controlling all activities in the pit, day, night or afternoon. That was at Letlhakane Mine.' She was looking after a crew of 50 men who were drilling, loading, hauling, and transporting. Still a drilling and blasting foreman, she moved to Damtshaa Mine in 2007, which proved to have 'a few challenges', she says.

'Damtshaa is a small mine and there was no drilling and blasting engineer. It was a learning curve for me as Damtshaa Mine was not investing much in systems so a lot was done manually.'

After that, Keleadile moved on to short-term planning where she was acting in the position. 'There was need for a short-term planner as the area was a bit neglected. I had to start it up, which I did well and produced results.'

She achieved 94 percent. She says such results are measured in carats. 'That was one of the highlights of my career.' She was in that position in April 2008.

Keleadile was moving up the ladder. In May 2009, she was appointed Mining Systems Engineer, the position she currently holds. 'It entails logistics of equipment and activities,' she says.

'You have to make sure that the system is working and utilised efficiently. It is the hub of the mine of where you get your reports.'

At the moment, she and her colleagues are working on the 2011 plan and life of the mine. 'The company releases their desired vision and we have to come up with the plan.' What she is doing now is in touch with the economics of the diamond business - the driving force and value. 'You have to come up with initiatives to produce more, cut costs and other things along those lines. Looking ahead and getting in touch with what is happening on the ground.'

Keleadile has learnt to operate all machinery in the mine efficiently, including running a blasting. She is proud that her determination to succeed has earned her the respect of her male colleagues.

'I also regard the men with respect because I was brought up in the Setswana culture where that is the norm. The men have even told me that they respect me a lot because I respect them.'

One of her outstanding achievements was that doing mine slope alongside one of her mentors at the mine. 'I was actually the main driver of that initiative,' she says. 'I worked hard and did not care what people were saying about me. In the end, I excelled.'

Even so, Keleadile maintains that it is still a challenge for women to be in this field.

'I can be in a boardroom with 50 men, but I now that I have to be strategic in what I say and when I say it. I should also be sure that I am not too quiet,' she points out.