Dundee’s long-held reputation as being the ‘home of coal mining’ has been enhanced with the election of Kevern Mattision as President of the esteemed South African Colliery Managers Association, SACMA.
Kevern was inducted at the Association’s annual general meeting held at the Johannesburg Country Club.
He was previously President of the South Region of SACMA that included KZN and the eastern area of Mpumalanga from 2012 to 2014, and in 2015 he was elected second Vice President of SACMA, Vice President last year and now President.
However, SACMA incorporates all coal collieries in the country, which translates into over 60 mines. Kevern, who is general manager of Buffalo Coal, is excited about the challenge and believes it will expose Dundee to the mining industry and in that way, boost the economic prospects.
“Some of the meetings will now be held locally and that will mean luminaries representing the mining industry will be right here.”
SACMA was established in 1978 and the last Dundee-based president of the association was Ian Foster in 1994.
“Coal mining has been through a dark patch with the drop in commodity prices and this has impacted on the already high rate of unemployment in the country. Fortunately, with the price of coal increasing from a low of $48 a ton to $98 a ton, things are a lot brighter. But we should be cautious and note that this will probably not last forever.”
Kevern has many ideas on how to make mining more attractive ‘and sexy’ in line with what he calls the 2017 revolution as it is referred to by The Economist publication.

“We have three women participating on the SACMA Council and want to have a fresher approach by using social media to ensure that coal mining is seen in a more positive light in communities. Our industry boasts very talented people who have already made differences in their communities. I always encourage my people to have big dreams but then, to make them materialise, we also need to act big.
For this, we need strategic direction, effective leadership and the discipline to implement.”
Born in Vryheid, Kevern has been in the industry for 29 years. He arrived in Dundee six years ago after working in Mpumalanga. He explained that Buffalo Coal is very active in the community – especially in the Dannhauser and greater Dundee area – with the planting of community gardens, building and renovating of creches, schools and clinics and there are even plans for a sports centre at Sleeve Donald farm near Magdalena Colliery.

Read more on Buffalo Coal

Buffalo Coal secures additional funding

Dusty coal truck route dampened down

There is no need for this community to be in mourning
He says the company will continue to make a difference in the area and assured residents that plans are afoot to finally solve the ‘coal truck route’ issue with the Municipality and other stakeholders.
“The rejection by Transnet to allow a level crossing across the Dundee/Vryheid road opposite Talana Museum scuppered our original plan that would have taken the trucks out of central town. However, there are other plans and hopefully, these will be implemented.”
He concluded by commenting on the SACMA logo that is very similar to the Dundee High School motif that includes the miner’s lamp.