Internship aids young aspiring engineers’ career goals

Electrical Engineering Intern Nhlanhla Jacob Sibiya (28), Electrical Engineering Intern Tiyani Prudence Hlungwane (31) and Mechanical Engineering Intern Zwivhuya Phathela (31) completed their internships at Khanye Colliery in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng in June 2022.

Zithobeni local, Zwivhuya holds a B-Tech in Mechanical Engineering, which she completed in 2019. She has learnt about the importance of adhering to the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA). “This guides us on how to work safely at the mine. One can’t just assume you are doing things correctly; we need to adhere to the health and safety rules,” says Zwivhuya. She has also learned to draft procedures at the workshop and has enjoyed learning how to service mine machines, such as the Trackless Mobile Machines (TTMs) and Light-Duty Vehicles (LDVs).

Nhlanhla is from the village of Sokhulumi, in Bronkhorstspruit. He studied Electrical Engineering at the Tshwane University of Technology with a focus on high voltage and heavy current. He ultimately plans to attain his Government Certificate of Competency (GCC) to become a qualified engineer.  “I have put my theoretical studies into practise by working on mechanical and electrical equipment. I learnt about the maintenance of transformers and how the mine gets its power from Eskom through the substation to the plant as well as  how the mine utilizes electricity and the kind of voltage we are getting from Eskom. I alsolearnt the importance of having backup power to continue running production during load shedding.”

Tiyani who holds a BTech in Electrical Engineering is from Zithobeni, near Bronkhorstspruit. She has acquired a substantial amount of knowledge during her internship, including being introduced to a mine’s processing plant where the coal beneficiation process is carried out. “Hence, I’ve learned all the processes at the plant, including how and why the coal is washed, how the equipment operates, maintenance strategies, the importance of condition motor monitoring, how the pumps work and the different types of pumps that are used at the plant.”

Tiyani Prudence Hlungwane, Zwivhuya Phathela and Nhlanhla Jacob Sibiya were interns at Khanye Colliery