The Institute for Social Dialogue

The Institute for Social Dialogue The Institute for Social Dialogue is an independent body which seeks to promote constructive dialogue

04/09/2026

ISD’s Joint Problem Solving Service is designed to help mines, mining-affected communities and other stakeholders move from recurring disputes and mistrust toward structured dialogue, shared understanding and practical solutions.

The focus is not on choosing sides. It is on creating a credible process where concerns can be heard, evidence can be considered, responsibilities can be clarified and workable solutions can be developed together.

In our latest podcast episode, we unpack how the Joint Problem Solving Service works and why independent facilitation can help turn difficult relationships into opportunities for constructive problem solving.

If your organisation or community is dealing with an unresolved issue, strained engagement or a breakdown in trust, engage ISD and explore how the Joint Problem Solving Service can support a way forward.

Contact ISD:
📞 082 082 0873
🌐 www.isd.org.za

Watch on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/z_UAlpPq6e8

03/09/2026

What can a new season make possible when the right partners come together?

Spring is a reminder that meaningful growth starts with the right conditions. In mining-affected communities, those conditions include trust, credible participation, clear accountability and a willingness to solve problems together.

At the Institute for Social Dialogue, we work between mines, communities, government, municipalities and civil society to create the neutral space, evidence and practical processes needed to strengthen relationships and move commitments forward.

This new season, we are inviting organisations that share that ambition to explore partnership with ISD.

Through independent research, neutral convening, facilitated dialogue, independent verification and the Joint Problem Solving Service, partnership with ISD is an opportunity to invest in stronger relationships and more durable outcomes.

🌱 A new season. New partnerships. A stronger foundation for trust.

Ready to explore what we could build together? Contact ISD and start the conversation.
🌐 www.isd.org.za

02/09/2026

What happens when mining commitments exist on paper, but trust still breaks down in practice?

Two recent ISD reports examine that question from different angles.

Our Social and Labour Plans: A Comparative Assessment looks at how Social and Labour Plans have performed over time, what international experience can teach us, and why transparency, community participation, independent verification and credible accountability matter for better outcomes.

Our The Social Layer of Tailings Risk report turns to tailings governance and asks a different but closely related question: are communities informed, prepared and able to participate meaningfully in the systems designed to protect them?

The risks are different, but the governance test is similar. People need to be able to see commitments, understand them, participate in decisions, verify delivery and access remedy when things go wrong.

For ISD, research is not the end point. It is a foundation for better dialogue, stronger accountability and practical reform between mines, communities, government and other stakeholders.

Read the reports:
Social and Labour Plans: A Comparative Assessment
https://isd.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/isd-social-and-labour-plans-a-comparative-assessment-2026-07-02.pdf

The Social Layer of Tailings Risk
https://isd.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/the-social-layer-of-tailings-risk.pdf

Engage with ISD to discuss the findings, independent verification, Social and Labour Plan audits, or facilitated dialogue in mining communities.

The Institute for Social Dialogue is hiring an Office Manager to help strengthen the systems that support our work betwe...
29/08/2026

The Institute for Social Dialogue is hiring an Office Manager to help strengthen the systems that support our work between mines, mining-affected communities, organised labour and government.

This is not a conventional office administration role. The person we are looking for will help manage the institutional backbone of ISD, including Board processes, statutory compliance, contracts, records, convenings and day-to-day operational coordination. That means ensuring Board packs and minutes are in order, compliance obligations are tracked, contracts stay current, events are delivered properly and our internal systems remain reliable as the organisation grows.

We are looking for someone with five or more years of experience in governance, project management, operations or company secretarial work. Strong knowledge of CIPC processes, Microsoft 365, SharePoint and relevant South African regulatory requirements will be important, alongside the ability to manage events from planning through to delivery.

The role is full-time, remote and Gauteng-based, offered on a 6-month fixed-term contract, with travel to project areas and events where required.

If you are the kind of person who does not simply inherit systems, but knows how to build and strengthen them, we would like to hear from you.

📩 Send a two-page CV to [email protected]
Subject: Office Manager: [Your Name]

Building Trust Between Mines & Communities.

28/08/2026

What happens when tension is addressed before it becomes conflict?

In Episode 3 of the ISD Podcast, Advocate Arnause Rabatome Mohlala and Advocate Lehutjo Mello share their experience on early engagement, identifying risk, neutrality and practical problem solving.

The Joint Problem Solving Service helps mines, communities, government and other stakeholders move from mistrust toward structured dialogue and practical solutions.

Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/z_UAlpPq6e8

Building Trust Between Mines & Communities.

What does credible climate action look like in a mining sector where environmental risk, governance and community trust ...
27/08/2026

What does credible climate action look like in a mining sector where environmental risk, governance and community trust are increasingly interconnected?

Today, Brown Motsau, Programmes Manager at the Institute for Social Dialogue, is speaking at the ESGS Conference 2026 at Glenburn Lodge, Muldersdrift. SAIMM

His contribution focuses on Climate Change in Mining - Risks, Governance, Sustainability and Environmental Management, an important conversation as mining companies, regulators and communities navigate the practical implications of climate risk.

For ISD, these challenges cannot be addressed through technical solutions alone. Strong governance, transparent decision-making and meaningful participation are critical to building the trust required for sustainable mining.

We look forward to contributing to the conversation and connecting with others working to strengthen responsible, accountable and resilient mining practices.

Building Trust Between Mines & Communities.

Learn more about ISD and our work: www.isd.org.za

What does it take to build trust between mines and communities when expectations, commitments and lived realities do not...
26/08/2026

What does it take to build trust between mines and communities when expectations, commitments and lived realities do not always align?

Our second issue of Between Mines & Communities is now live.

This edition brings together the conversations, people and practical questions shaping ISD’s work - from Brown Motsau’s reflections on the importance of dialogue, to Nerine Kahn’s experience in resolving difficult disputes, insights from our community dialogues, the latest discussion on Social and Labour Plans, and the road to our Social Dialogue: North West event on 30 September.

The newsletter is designed to do more than report on activity. It captures what we are hearing, what the evidence is showing and where better engagement, accountability and practical problem solving are needed.

Read the full newsletter here:
https://isd.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/between-mines-communities-issue-02-aug-sep-2026.pdf

If your organisation is working at the intersection of mining, communities, government or social performance, we invite you to read, share and engage with the issues raised.

Building Trust Between Mines & Communities.

Khumo Shongwe brings a rare combination of mining leadership, business experience and human insight to the conversation....
23/08/2026

Khumo Shongwe brings a rare combination of mining leadership, business experience and human insight to the conversation.

A businesswoman and clinical psychologist, Khumo spent much of her corporate career in senior Human Capital and Sustainable Development roles within the mining industry. She served as Executive Director at Royal Bafokeng Holdings from 2008 to 2013 and studied at Rhodes University, Medunsa, HEC Paris and the University of Oxford.

Today, she manages investments in hospitality and financial services, serves as an Independent Non-Executive Board Member and continues to champion education, leadership development and the mentorship of young women.

Khumo will deliver the Opening Address at ISD’s Social Dialogue: North West.

📅 30 September 2026
🕥 10:30 - 15:00
📍 Sibanye Stillwater Recreation Club, Rustenburg

Join us in the room. Register to attend or secure an exhibition opportunity by contacting [email protected].

www.isd.org.za

Building Trust Between Mines & Communities.

20/08/2026

What changes when better access to information is matched by a better way to engage with it?

The Institute for Social Dialogue has launched a new website, together with Ground Truth - our public register bringing South African mining operations, surrounding communities, commitments and source documents into one accessible digital platform.

Ground Truth allows users to go beyond the headline figure.

Locate the operation. Trace the commitment. Publish the gap. Invite the record into the conversation.

Every figure links back to the document it came from.

Our new website also brings ISD’s research, programmes, services, events and platforms together in one clearer digital home, making it easier for communities, mining companies, municipalities, government and civil society to access evidence and engage with our work.

This is about more than a new website. It is about making credible information easier to find, understand and use in the conversations that shape mining communities.

Explore the new ISD website and Ground Truth today:
https://isd.org.za/

Institute for Social Dialogue
Building Trust Between Mines & Communities.

17/08/2026

What happens beyond the wall when a tailings facility fails?

Tailings risk is not only an engineering question. It is also a question of warning, disclosure, preparedness and trust.

ISD’s Below the Wall series highlights a critical reality: 41% of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management relates to social performance, including affected communities, grievance mechanisms, emergency preparedness and disclosure.

The human consequences can be profound. Brumadinho warning-time modelling shows how even a few minutes of effective warning can dramatically change outcomes. But those minutes depend on systems that have been designed, communicated and tested with the people they are meant to protect.

For mining companies, the question is therefore not only: Is the facility technically safe? It is also: Are the people below it genuinely prepared?

ISD supports mining operations through Downstream Assurance Reviews, community-focused emergency preparedness, independent dialogue and tested grievance mechanisms.

Read the full ISD report:
The Social Layer of Tailings Risk - Below the Wall
🔗https://isd.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/the-social-layer-of-tailings-risk.pdf

Start the conversation before the wall does. Contact ISD to strengthen the social layer of your tailings risk management.

📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 71 496 5987
🌐 isd.org.za

Building Trust Between Mines & Communities

Address

Libanon Business Park, 1 Hospital Street, Libanon
Westonaria
1780

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00
Saturday 08:00 - 17:00
Sunday 08:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27714965987

Website

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