Board and office bearers

Minerals Council Office Bearers

20 February 2025

Acting President: Paul Dunne

Acting President: Paul Dunne

BSc (Hons)(Electrical Engineering), Master of Business Administration

Paul Dunne joined Northam in March 2014 as Chief Executive Officer. He has been a Board member of Northam Holdings since 2020 and of the group since March 2014 and is a non–executive director of the International Platinum Group Metals Association (IPA). He was formerly an executive director at Impala Platinum Holdings Limited, responsible for mining, concentrating and smelting operations at the Group’s Rustenburg and Marula mines.

Paul was elected as an Office Bearer of the Minerals Council in 2021 and is a champion of the Minerals Council Women in Mining initiatives. During his tenure he has made an invaluable contribution.
Vice President: Mpumi Zikalala

Vice President: Mpumi Zikalala

BSc (Chemical Engineering), University of the Witwatersrand; Leadership Development Programme, London Business School

Mpumi Zikalala has been the CEO of Kumba Iron Ore since 1 January 2022. She is on the Kumba Board as an executive director and is Chair of the operating entity, Sishen Iron Ore Company (Pty) Ltd. Mpumi started her career at De Beers in 2001 as a process engineer and worked in various leadership roles within production management. In 2007, she was appointed General Manager at De Beers Kimberley Mines, becoming the first female General Manager in the De Beers Group. In 2010, she was appointed General Manager of De Beers Voorspoed Mine and three and a half years later became Senior Vice-President of De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa. Mpumi was promoted to Deputy CEO of De Beers Consolidated Mines in November 2017 and to the position of Managing Director, De Beers Group Managed Operations, in April 2019, covering De Beers Group's operations in South Africa and Canada.

Mpumi serves as the Chair of the Private Sector Forum of the South African National AIDS Council. She served as the 2023 Campaign Ambassador for the International Day for Women in Mining and was a winner of the 2018 Top 100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining awards issued in Mayfield, London.
Vice President: Themba Mkhwanazi

Vice President: Themba Mkhwanazi

Themba was appointed Regional Director, Africa & Australia on 1 July 2023 with responsibility for Anglo American’s PGMs business, Kumba Iron Ore and Australian operations (steelmaking coal). He previously served as CEO of Bulk Commodities, starting that role in 2021. Prior to that, he was CEO of Kumba Iron Ore from 2016 to 2021, and CEO for Anglo American’s Thermal Coal business in South Africa, having joined the Group in 2014. He is also a non-executive director of Anglo American Platinum and Kumba Iron Ore.

Themba has extensive experience in the resources industry, including 18 years in his native South Africa, as well as in the US and Australia. Before joining the Group, Themba was managing director for Huntsman Tioxide in South Africa until 2007 when he was appointed COO of Richards Bay Minerals, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP. In 2011, he was seconded to Rio Tinto’s Australian coal business, before taking up the role of regional general manager for the Americas in 2012.

Themba was elected as a Minerals Council Office Bearer in 2021, playing an invaluable role in guiding the Minerals Council.
Vice President Richard Stewart

Vice President: Richard Stewart

BSc (Hons), PhD (Geology), University of the Witwatersrand; MBA, Warwick Business School (UK); PrSciNat

Richard Stewart has held the position of Chief Regional Officer: Southern Africa from 31 May 2022, subsequent to being the Group Chief Operating Officer (COO) from 1 December 2020. Prior to being COO, Richard was the Executive Vice President: Business Development at Sibanye-Stillwater. Richard has 25 years’ experience in South Africa’s geological and mining industries and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa and a Registered Natural Scientist. He joined the Sibanye Group in 2014, and has contributed significantly to a successful and value accretive acquisition and growth strategy. Prior to joining Sibanye-Stillwater, he served on the Gold One Executive Committee from 2009, where he also served as CEO of Goliath Gold Limited. He has held management positions at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Mining Technology division and Uranium One and was an investment consultant for the private equity firm, African Global Capital Proprietary Limited. Richard was a founding member and director of the geological consultancy, Shango Solutions.

Board Members

Phillip Tobias, African Rainbow Minerals (CEO)
Nolitha Fakude, Anglo American (Chairperson)
Themba Mkhwanazi, Anglo American (Regional Director, Africa & Australia)
Craig Miller, Anglo American Platinum (CEO)
Charles Walters, Assore (CEO)
Mariana Lamont, Clay Brick Association (Executive Director) (for associations)
Barend Petersen, De Beers Consolidated Mines (Executive Chair)
Moses Madondo, De Beers Consolidated Mines (Managing Director)
Niël Pretorius, DRDGOLD (CEO)
Kgabi Masia, Exxaro (Managing Director Minerals)
Japie Fullard, Glencore South Africa (CEO)
Murray Houston, Glencore Coal South Africa (CEO)
Benford Mokoatle, Gold Fields (Executive Vice President: South Africa)
Beyers Nel, Harmony Gold Mining Company Ltd (CEO)
Floyd Masemula, Harmony Gold Mining Company Ltd (Deputy CEO)
Nico Muller, Impala Platinum (CEO)
Mpumi Zikalala, Kumba Iron Ore (CEO)
Mandy Malebe, Lethabo Exploration (CEO) (for Junior and Emerging Mines)
Zanele Matlala, Merafe Resources (CEO)
Mzila Mthenjane, Minerals Council South Africa (CEO)
Paul Dunne, Northam Platinum (CEO)
Errol Smart, Orion Minerals (CEO) (for Junior and Emerging Mines)
Guangmin-Wei, Palabora Mining Company (Executive Director and CEO)
Jaison Rajan, Petra Diamonds
(Chief Operating Officer)
Werner Duvenhage, Richards Bay Minerals (Managing Director)
Sandile Siyaya, Sasol Mining (Senior Vice President)
Mike Teke, Seriti Resources (CEO)
Richard Stewart, Sibanye-Stillwater (Chief Regional Officer: Southern Africa)
Lerato Legong, Sibanye-Stillwater (Executive Vice President: Legal and Compliance)
Noel Pillay , South32 Africa (Chief Operating Officer)
Michelle Taylor, Tharisa Limited (COO)
July Ndlovu, Thungela (CEO)
Ezekiel Lotlhare, Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining Pty Ltd (CEO)
Chris Griffith, Vedanta Base Metals (CEO)
Pushpender Singla, Vedanta Zinc International (VZI) (Executive director and CFO)