Mulisa translates his passion into a career path
Mulisa Mavhulavhula - Environmental Control Officer at Canyon coal
Mulisa Mavhulavhula (25) is an Environmental Control Officer at Canyon Coal, who believes that if you make your passion your career then you are going to excel in life.
Mulisa holds a Bachelor of Environmental Sciences from the University of Venda. “I enjoyed geography and life sciences at school so then I had to choose a career path, which is aligned with geography and life sciences, of which happened to be Bachelor of Environmental Sciences,” he explains.
Mulisa started his career at Canyon Coal as an Environmental Intern in January 2021 and is currently an Environmental Control Officer, a position he has held since January 2022.
“When I joined as an intern it was a little bit of a struggle for me because I was fresh from university, and I did not always understand the dynamics around mining and its many requirements. I was working at the mines and the sidings and within 3 months I knew what was going on,” he states.
The transition from being an Environmental Intern to an Environmental Control Officer while coming with many big responsibilities has been smooth. “I am now able to take some decisions on my own. I can conduct some studies on my own, without being supervised.”
Environmental compliance is significant in terms of legislation as it comprises water use licenses, environmental authorisations, etc.... and a task in which Mulisa revels in.
He points out that for a mine to commence/continue with operations it needs several permissions including a mining right, a water use license (WUL), an environmental management plan, environmental authorisation, and certain permits, among others.
Moreover, for a mine to operate for its lifespan it must comply or adhere to all the conditions within these authorisations throughout the time it is active. Therefore, it is very much crucial for Mulisa as an environmental officer to make sure that the operation is complying with environmental legislation in order that mining can continue sustainably.
“I enjoy being part of everything at the mine. I also assisted with the relocation of over 4 000 Giant Bullfrog froglets and 2 adults to a new pan (endorheic wetland system) at Canyon Coal’s Phalanndwa Colliery near Delmas, in Mpumalanga. The relocation was undertaken owing to an expansion of the mining area at Phalanndwa Colliery and was great being part of this initiative which showed that mines do care for the preservation of the environment and the creatures that live in it,” Mulisa says.
