Click here to listen to the mp3 advert for The Salvation Army's anti-human trafficking message

Click here to watch the footage taken by News24 at the Long Walk for Rhino's Mandela Day initiative at Robben Island School. (QVC donated Media Liaison to this initiative as part of its Mandela Day initiatives)

 Quo Vadis Communications on a field trip to KwaZulu Natal for client, Siyazisiza Trust.

Victoria Makalima, assistant Director for the Johnson and Johnson Burn Treatment Centre (left) and Roger Crawford, Executive Director, Worldwide Government Affairs and Policy for Johnson & Johnson (back right) happily assisted Nurse Ester Manson and clinical officer William Kalua from Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi throughout their two-week specialised training session at the Burn Treatment Centre at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The training took place as a result of a public private partnership between the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Johnson & Johnson, and the University of North Carolina in USA. The hospital in Malawi recently opened a burn unit and the hands-on training Ester and William received at the leading burn treatment centre in Africa, will no doubt make a huge difference in the lives of those in need.

Released: 24 August 2011

Bench Marks Foundation supports the decision to encourage mining companies such as AngloGold Ashanti and Gold Fields to look at ways in which to reward their former mine workers who have suffered work-related injuries and sicknesses. 

According to a recent article in Bloomberg, AngloGold, Gold Fields Face Court Battles Against Miners With Lung Disease, rights groups are working with former workers who have work-related lung diseases in seeking compensation for their damages through a class-action lawsuit.

“A number of former mine workers have been disabled due to working underground in gold mines where they were subjected to harmful chemicals,” said John Capel, Executive Director at Bench Marks Foundation.

“There are low levels of accountability, transparency and commitment related to sustainable development and corporate social responsibility in the mining arena of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.”

Capel said that individuals who have contracted diseases and suffer injuries due to working in mines deserve a just and reasonable compensation. The same applies to people or communities whose land has been taken away.

As documented by Bench Marks Policy Gap reports, multinational mining companies need to address their corporate social responsibility programmes to focus on the real sustainable development of communities rather than as publicity exercises.

The organisation conducts research on mining in Southern Africa with the intention to provide SADC governments, mining companies and local mining community stakeholders with information and guidance on issues to consider in the process of empowerment and sustainable development through corporate social responsibility.

“We conduct research in the areas where mining operations take place. Our aim is to alert the global world of the human rights shortfalls that are being practised in the SADC mining communities,” said Capel.

Additionally, Bench Marks established the Monitoring Action Project; a programme intended to teach writing and computer skills to the youth who then observe and document problems faced by their communities. Also, the project is an instrument where the voices of former employees are also being heard.

The Monitors’ writings and progress reports on the project are available on the website: https://sites.google.com/site/monitoringaction.

The Bench Marks Foundation was launched in 2001 by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in response to the churches’ call in 1993 to monitor and hold businesses accountable in the new South Africa and in Southern Africa. It is chaired by Bishop Jo Seoka.

Last changed: Oct 28 2011 at 3:41 PM