As South Africa’s largest mining employer, we know all too well about “reshaping” in a country where transformation is a sensitive issue and diversity in the workplace plays a critical role in an ever-changing and ever-diverse society.
Our head of transformation and regulatory affairs Lindiwe Zikhali says, “Within the diversity space there are the obvious differences like white, black, male, female, old, young. But the bulk of our diversity is hidden.”
What if someone is bipolar or diabetic? These are differences in people that too often fall under the radar and wind up causing unnecessary problems down the line as bosses and colleagues fail to truly understand what makes these people tick and the specific needs they may have.
To Lindiwe, the ideal workplace is a place where every single employee feels comfortable, safe and free to come to work every day as they are.
The problem is, many people feel it is risky to disclose their true selves, fearing discrimination, bigotry and unfair treatment. This happens because people simply don’t know what they don’t know, and tend to fill this empty space with hearsay, wives tales and general ignorance.
“But most people feel the need to conform when at work. I worry about people hiding themselves on a daily basis. They might not be living up to their full potential. Why hide your disability, your sexual orientation or anything that makes you different from anyone else? If everyone was free to be themselves, there would be far-reaching positive consequences for any business.
I believe that there is a strong case for embracing diversity. This is why we at Anglo American are focusing on this important aspect.”
In dealing with issues of diversity at Anglo American, Lindiwe derives her mandate from section nine of the South African constitution – the equality clause. It is this clause that guarantees equality before the law and freedom from discrimination to the people of South Africa.
In 2011, our Corporate Division launched the “Knowing Me, Knowing You” diversity initiative. The objective was to create awareness and foster an environment that respects and celebrates people’s differences.
“We need to create and nurture an environment where people are aware of, understand and appreciate the differences in one another as an essential ingredient to attaining real employment equity. This is one of the key ways employees, and ultimately businesses can reach their full potential.”
