Bridgette Radebe is as comfortable in over-sized overalls, safety boots and a hard hat as she is in a power suit and stilettos

ot so long ago, women could not work underground. Today, not only do they descend into the belly of the earth, but they can own the entire mine! Enter Bridgette Radebe. While 50-year-old Radebe is a self-made mining tycoon, she belongs to a wealthy entrepreneurial family, with her brother rated one of the richest men in the world, and she is married to a government minister. Her wealth comes from mining, yet she supports the nationalisation of mines.

Radebe is a cautious, shrewd businesswoman; yet pontificates that no matter how it is done, South African mines have to be nationalised, as she supports the call by the leader of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), Julius Malema.

She lives and works in a high-powered, sophisticated realm, but displays a preference for traditional African couture.

And while she seemingly champions the cause of black, small and new miners, Radebe is alleged to have been central to the adoption of a Code of Good Practice for the mining industry, which contained a clause that could be highly detrimental to such miners.

Her mining company, Mmakau Mining, is run quietly – some say covertly – yet she occasionally hogs the limelight.

And the relaxed, youthful and glamorous figure she strikes in newspaper images belies her 50 years and the stress that must come with running a major business operation.

Bridgette Dikeledi Dijeng Radebe was born on 26 February 1960, the daughter of Augustine and Margaret Motsepe. She grew up in the village of Mmakau, after which her company is named.

While her father was a successful entrepreneur in his own right, who laid a solid foundation for his children to build upon, her younger brother, Patrice Motsepe, went on to become South Africa’s first black billionaire. He is the executive chairperson of African Rainbow Minerals, and owns the Premier Soccer League club, Mamelodi Sundowns.

In the past, Bridgette has indicated that having witnessed the injustices of the exploitation of her tribe’s mineral rights without royalties paid to them, inspired her to want to become a mining lawyer.

Although she was accepted to study law at Witwatersrand University, she was apparently precluded from doing so on racial grounds.

Instead, Radebe graduated from the University of Botswana with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Political Science and Sociology.

Her brother, incidentally, was more fortunate and became one of the first few black law graduates from Wits.

Apparently it was Bridgette who encouraged him to go into mining – where they both made their fortunes.

In the 1980s, Radebe entered the mining industry through a partnership with a contract-mining firm run by two Afrikaners. This led to the establishment of her own company, Mmakau Mining – becoming the only woman to head a deep-level, hard-rock mining company in South Africa.

Today, Mmakau Mining – a private, non-listed entity – is a pioneering mining company with assets in platinum, gold, uranium, coal, chrome, exploration as well as mining services.

The company claims that a key aspect of its appeal is its “mining with a conscience” approach, which promotes sustainable mining practices and involves local communities through procurement, management partnering and entrepreneur development.

It has grown into one of Africa’s most significant mining firms. From a contract miner, managing shafts and procuring for larger mining houses, Mmakau progressed to ownership and development of its own mines in the early ‘90s.

The group says it significantly broadened its skills and mining services base through acquisition of a 36% shareholding in Shaft Sinkers, a world leader in shaft-sinking and underground construction.

Mmakau is governed by a board of directors and an executive management team encompassing various relevant disciplines, and together offering more than 170 years of expertise in mining, mining construction, development, technical services, financial management and human resources.

While Radebe is the undisputed queen of her mining empire, she is ably assisted by Joss Haumann, executive director and a consulting geologist who spent 28 years at Rio Tinto Exploration; Dr Bethuel Setai, director and current chairperson and chief executive officer of the Finance and Fiscal Commission, which advises on the allocation of nationally raised revenue; Peet Nel, director, who started in mining with Anglo American in 1960 and was brought back from retirement by Radebe to head up Shaft Sinkers; Isaac Langa, director with more than 20 years’ experience in mining and retail; and Rowan Karstel, executive director with two decades of mining experience, 17 of them spent at BHP Billiton.

Mmakau Mining maintains a strong focus on its community stakeholders, through the development of next-generation entrepreneurs and rural renewal projects within the environs in which it operates. Combined with its focus on training and social development, it continues to make a tangible social contribution.

It subscribes to the philosophy that mining must benefit the community as well as investors, while the development of minerals and people delivers attractive returns in social and financial terms.

According to the company website, Radebe has more than a decade of experience in contract mining, mining construction and mergers and acquisitions.

She is a founder and board of trustees member of the New Africa Mining Fund, a founder and president of the South African Mining Development Association (the Junior Mining Chamber), and vice-chairperson of the Minerals and Mining Development Board, which advises the minister of Mineral Resources.

Radebe’s other interests include directorships at one time or another on Nabera Mining, the United States-based Leadership Foundation, the National Research Foundation and Projects International.

She participated in the drafting of the South African Mining Charter and mining legislation currently in force, such as the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act. Radebe joined the Sappi Limited board in May 2004.

In May 2008, the Global Foundation for Democracy bestowed upon her the Business Person of the Year Award. It recognises achievements of individuals who have made a difference in an ever changing political and environmental landscape.

Other accolades include the Onkgopotse Tiro Excellence Award from Limpopo University, the Pioneer in Mining Award from the former Ministry of Minerals and Energy, and the Mababongwe Renaissance Woman Award from the former University of Durban-Westville.

In addition, Radebe is active in various charitable enterprises.

She is married to Jeff Radebe, veteran ANC politician and current minister of Justice and Constitutional Development. He is head of the ANC Policy Unit, a member of its national executive committee, and a member of the central committee of the South African Communist Party (SACP).

Whether her husband’s political affiliations have anything to do with her support for the call by Malema and the Youth League for nationalisation of mines, is hard to tell.

While the SACP does support nationalisation of South Africa’s mineral wealth á la the Freedom Charter, it is opposed to Malema’s particular brand of nationalisation.

Both the SACP and the Congress of South African Trade Unions – allies of the ruling ANC – have raised suspicions that the ANCYL’s call for nationalisation is backed and driven by wealthy businessmen who have benefited from black economic empowerment (BEE), and who see nationalisation as a state-funded bailout option for troubled BEE mining companies.

Theoretically, this would place the Radebes in opposite camps, as Bridgitte apparently made her pro-nationalisation remarks in response to Malema’s call.

Veteran journalist and political commentator Patrick Laurence remarked at the time: “One of the most intriguing developments during the deliberations of the national general council (NGC) of the African National Congress, has been the emergence of Bridgette Radebe – one of South Africa’s richest women – as an advocate for nationalising mines.”

She had participated in the discussions on economic policy at the NGC, where Malema had vociferously advocated the adoption thereof as policy.

At the time of the NGC, Fiona Forde, an Irish journalist, had interviewed Radebe after she had addressed the ANC’s commission on economic policy.

In an article published in The Mercury, Forde quoted Radebe as saying: “The problem is the capitalist mining model. (It) takes a piece of land (to) explore, exploit, extract, export, leave ghost towns and go overseas.”

She added: “When we created a new South Africa, 83% of the resources were owned by the (racial) minority. Now 91% is owned by monopolies... We are sliding backwards. Some fundamental decisions have to be made.”

It was in this interview that Radebe uttered the famous words: “It doesn’t matter how we skin this cat, but we have to skin it” – meaning nationalisation at any price.

She had apparently identified, as possible options for the mining industry, a public-private co-operation model similar to that of Botswana’s diamond industry: state ownership and management of the mines; or a model whereby the state buys out mines of dwindling profitability, held primarily by the beneficiaries of BEE.

Radebe appears to favour the buyout option, but quickly emphasises that she is “in it for the money”.

She elaborated: “Begin with me. I have mines.

“You can take them. I’m not looking for money

“What I am saying is, I am willing. That’s all.

“We don’t want expropriation. We want a situation that works for everyone, and this works for me.”

Radebe emphasised she was not propagating a mines grab. “I don’t like using the word nationalisation because people don’t listen.

“I’m saying let’s state-own, control and manage,” and cited US President Barack Obama, who provided a financial lifeline for the banks.

She said: “He bought out those banks. What was that? Nationalisation? He calls it a bailout.”

Laurence comments: “It is relevant to record that Jeremy Cronin (deputy general-secretary of the SACP, who serves with Radebe’s husband on the SACP’s central committee) has long accused Malema of fronting for black capitalists with a stake in the mines, who are disappointed with their earnings and who want government to take over their assets and to compensate them financially.

“He declines to identify the black capitalists for whom Malema is allegedly fronting, though his reticence would be understandable – but not necessarily excusable – if one or more of the black capitalists had close connections with the SACP.”

Radebe has equally been scathing of BEE and its application in the mining sector, where she had been a co-drafter of the Mining Charter.

In May 2010, she criticised the “fruitless” way BEE has been implemented in the mining sector, and more recently a report commissioned by the South African Mining Development Association, of which she is president, called for the scrapping of the “embarrassing revised Mining Charter”.

All of which begs the question: Who is the real Bridgette Radebe, and where will she eventually put her money? ▲

Stef Terblanche

• |2011-05-17 21:15:00 Thandiwe kalpens  - miss
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