Mziwakhe Nhlapo
Executive Director
Mziwakhe Nhlapo is a fully dedicated hands-on professional with expert knowledge and extensive experience in the Health; Safety and Sustainability area. His experience is across the Mining; Construction; Metals; Energy and General industries (i.e. Eskom; Manufacturing; Laboratory, etc.). Such experience is both at the operational and regulatory level, across the middle management to senior management level of authority, including Non – Executive Directorship at Board Level.
Mziwakhe has proficiencies in the following areas, but not limited to these: Auditing and Inspections on health and safety matters, Risk Assessment, safe work procedures development and implementation; Legal enforcement on provisions of OHSA & MHSA/ Legal development and advice on provisions of MHSA and OHSA and the associated regulations/ Stakeholder management across the industry/ Development; Implementation and review of procedures and policies across the Mining; Construction, Metals and Energy sectors/ Leading a stakeholder`s forum on the research; advisory capacity to the Minister of the DMR at the Mines Health and Safety Council/ Leading various programmes for raising awareness and developing initiatives across the industry on occupational health; safety; environmental aspects and compensation (HSEC)/ representation at global forums to support the global solidarity programmes of the Country and respective organisations employed from/ presenting at various conferences on occupational HSEC matters/ high level negotiations on HSEC matters/ Chair for the Anglo American tripartite forum on stakeholder management/ Convener for the NEDLAC negotiations on water in the mines; OHSA review and MHSA review/ investigating complaints on OHSA and MHSA non-compliance/ leading a team of staff on OHSA; MHSA; COIDA and CCOD matters/ advising the NUM leadership at all levels on OHSA; MHSA; COIDA; CCOD and NEMA, including climate change and energy matters/ developing and monitoring budget for the NUM unit/
providing leadership as Board member at MHSC Board/ providing leadership on qualifications framework for the Construction sector on the registration of health and safety professions in the sector.
Providing training on health and safety topics across the mentioned sectors of the industries and also across the SADC Region to improve health and safety.
Mziwakhe work ethics are that of high standard in ensuring accountability and results oriented activities give the expected outcomes on the work he does. His management style is to allow team individuals to have room to use their expertise and reach their optimal output in order to achieve the outmost of the desired output, whilst ensuring that management systems are in place to provide for accountability with a team. He has the ability to be flexible under difficult circumstances and works well under pressure. He is able to assume responsibilities within a short notice and work well in an organization.
Mziwakhe is well recognized and respected by industry stakeholders from the regulators (DOL & DMRE); Unions (NUM; NUMSA; UASA; SOLIDARITY & AMCU); Organised business (Chamber; SAMDA; ASPASA; BUSA, SAFCEC; MBSA, etc.), and other partners such various advisory boardies, RMA; MHSC and various academic institutions in the SA.