October 2012

Index• Foreword 3

• Rationale for a style guide 4

• Writing for Creamer Media 4

• Structuring your interview and writing 5

• Guidance from A – Z 9

• Areas of common difficulty 19

Annexures

1. Hyphenation 30

2. Abbreviations of units of measurement 33

3. Commonly used scientific elements and their abbreviations 36 The Periodic Table list 37

4. Commonly used abbreviations 38 Commonly used plastics 40

5. Glossary of standards authorities 41

6. Glossary of mining terms 43

7. Currencies guide 55

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Foreword

When it comes to styleWhen it comes to the style in which one should write for Engineering News and Mining Weekly, one can do worse than to take a cue from Radio 702 presenter John Robbie.

Those who have listened to Robbie will know that he instructs contributors to his talk shows: “Keep it short,” he pleads from the outset. If there is the slightest waffle, Robbie adds: “Get to the point.” The moment there is adulation, he bellows: “Cut the slush.”

Staff of Engineering News and Mining Weekly may benefit from applying Robbie’s three main lines when they are putting their reports into readable form.

Probably the briefest message of all time was from a British officer whose regiment had conquered Sinde in India; he cabled a one-liner, “Pecavi”, the Latin for “I have sinned”.

I recall this to stress the need for brevity.

Most of all, reports in Engineering News and Mining Weekly must be easy reads: they must inform, they must stimulate, they must expose and, where appropriate, yes, also entertain.

Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. Should you not be certain, phone around until you are, then complete your work. Your reports must always have meat, but avoid constantly pouring over them the same gravy.

Writer George Orwell is credited with having said that a scrupulous writer will ask himself four questions in relation to every sentence written: “What am I trying to say? Which words will express it best? Which image could make it clearer? Could I reduce it to fewer words?”

Test what you have written by handing it to a nonjournalist colleague and then finding out what it has communicated. If communication proves moggy, try again.

I have, however, regularly used this route with a semblance of success: write it, sub it, rewrite it, resub it, submit it.

A stylebook ensures consistent quality; it’s a newsroom’s bureau of standards, a verbal constitution, an arbiter in times of dispute and doubt. Thus, we are indebted and very grateful to all those who undertook the laborious task of producing this stylebook, and this electronic version.

Martin CreamerPublishing editor

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Rationale for a Style GuideEven those born to the English language will freely admit that this is not an easy language to speak, let alone write. If you listen to the language spoken in parts of the UK you would not believe that this, too, is English.

In South Africa, English is seldom a first language – it may only be a fourth or fifth language. It is, however, the language of business – and that’s where we come in. Poor language usage can mislead and confuse the reader. We want clarity. A style guide is just that – a guide. It does not contain all the answers, but it does have some.

How to use this guideThis is a living document as it constantly evolves as style tips surface. Its purpose is best served as an electronic document, which is easily updated and, most importantly, searchable! To ensure that the master copy remains an authoritative document, please send all additions/queries/updates to Chanel de Bruyn (chanel@engineeringnews.co.za). Regular updates of the document will be posted on the site.

Writing for Creamer MediaGet both sides of the storyWhen you write a controversial article (anything that could/will discredit a company) it is imperative that comment is obtained from the company you are writing about. As a journalist, you are accountable – you need to be sure of your efforts and ensure you are contacting the right people. The words substantiation and verification should be high up on your list when attempting anything of a controversial/ investigative nature.

Do not, under any circumstances, simply use random information you got off the Internet for the basis of your argument. Use only relevant, secure sources and always include the other side of the story.

Your job as a journalist is to be objective and you should do everything in your power to get both sides of the story. All sources should have equal opportunity to state their case and it is your job to ensure that they do. However, in the event that is it a news-breaking or extremely important issue that you feel you need to probe and you are struggling to get comment from a particular source, please speak to your editor for guidance.

If you have any questions, please speak to your editor.

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Editorial styleThink like a reader

Given Engineering News and Mining Weekly’s readership profile, we strive to produce a riveting read for the MD and an intelligible, clear, educational medium for shopfloor workers and artisans.

Structuring your interview and writingPART ONENews story structure

GOlDEN RulE: News first, scene setting second, context third, comment last (pack article with news, limit commentary).

GuIDElINE 1: If you don’t understand your sentence/article, no one else will (rewrite it until it is clear – don’t forget punctuation).

GuIDElINE 2: Exhaust your angle before moving on to a new theme.

GuIDElINE 3: Have appropriate joiners to introduce a new theme (meanwhile, further, in addition, another priority . . .).

GuIDElINE 4: Multisource where appropriate, and always get the other side of the debate if one is raised.

GuIDElINE 5: Clear stories with source and accept reasonable changes, particularly if the article arose from an unsolicited approach by us. Stories arising from public media events do not need to be cleared, unless you have gained additional information on the side of the event.

GuIDElINE 6: Limit the use of direct quotes and rather interpret for the reader in indirect speech.

GuIDElINE 7 (most important): Read your article through three times before submission to an editor or a source.

intro 1: News first, then who said it1. Sourced, nonexclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom approved four new mega-projects, involving a combined

capital investment of R42-billion, CEo Coal Stoffberg reported last week. (past tense)2. Sourced, exclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom has approved four new megaprojects, involving a combined

capital investment of R42-billion, CEo Coal Stoffberg tells Engineering News. (present tense)3. Nonsourced, exclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom has approved four new megaprojects, involving a

combined capital investment of R42-billion, Engineering News can today report. (present tense)4. Nonsourced, nonexclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom has approved four new megaprojects, involving a

combined capital investment of R42-billion, industry sources reveal. (present tense)

intro 2: Describe company generically, then say where it is from

1. Generic description: State-owned power utility . . .

2. Where: Bomber Engineering of Boksburg, on the East Rand, . . .

intro 3: once you have chosen your tense, you have to stick with it throughout the article.

intro 4: Try not to start your story with a direct quote.

paragraph two: Scene setting1. Sourced, nonexclusive: Speaking at a results presentation in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Stoffberg said the projects were

part of a bigger R97-billion, five-year capital-investment programme, which had been scaled up from R84-billion to cater for faster-than-expected demand growth. (past tense)

2. Sourced, exclusive: Speaking exclusively to Engineering News, Stoffberg reveals that the projects are part of a bigger R97-billion, five-year capital-investment programme, which has been scaled up from R84-billion to cater for faster-than-expected demand growth. (present tense)

paragraph three: Direct quote“We were asked by our shareholder, the government, to review our planning in light of the accelerated and shared growth initiative for South Africa, or Asgisa, and this review made us realise that we needed to accelerate our capital programme, particularly with regard to new baseload capacity,” Stoffberg explains.

paragraph four: Provide contextThe South African utility has been mandated to lead the power-expansion programme, following a decision by Cabinet in 2003, not to break Powerkom into its various components of generation, transmission and distribution, so that it could lead the increasingly urgent security-of-supply initiative.

paragraph five: More context, if neededFor nearly three decades, Powerkom has not needed to make major investments, given that South Africa had surplus generation capacity and had even mothballed several stations. It was also uncertain whether it would be allowed to move ahead with new investments, given that government was considering a new competitive framework for electricity supply.

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paragraph six: More context, if neededHowever, demand has been rising steadily, given higher-than-anticipated economic growth rates and South Africa is now expected to run short of generation capacity, particularly peaking capacity, in the not-too-distant future.

paragraph seven: More newsThe review concluded that there would also be a shortage of baseload capacity ahead of the initial projected date of 2012. For that reason, Powerkom has brought forward the development of a new R26-billion baseload coal-fired station, which will be built in the north of the country.

paragraph eight: More newsThe four other projects approved relate to a peaking power plant to be built in the Drakensberg, and two major trans-mission lines from the Mpumalanga region in the north of the country through to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, in the south.

paragraph nine: This additional news may also need contextThe transmission projects are deemed necessary to strengthen the network supplying the Western Cape, which was shown up as fragile in December, when the Koeberg nuclear reactor was forced to shut down, owing to a damaged stator . . .

paragraph ten: More news Pack the article with facts and figures about the investment programme, the projects, the contractors, the technologies chosen, etc.

paragraph 11: A balanced article may want to raise concernsMany observers believe the capex programme is too little, too late. Western Cape DA spokesperson Joe Moan says . . .

paragraph 12: Direct quote for concerned party“There is little doubt that the power-supply shortage currently being faced comes down to poor policymaking from the national government and bad planning on the part of Powerkom,” Moan argues.

paragraph 13: Get a responsePowerkom, though, is sanguine about its ability to deal with the challenge . . .

paragraph 14: Another direct quote, possibly to conclude“We believe we have the structures and systems in place to deliver on this ambitious capex programme,” Stoffberg concludes.

paragraph 15: May want to end with summing up, or a fact1. All eyes will be on Eskom and the executive team to see whether they will be able to translate the paper plans into reality.

2. Tenders are out for the coal-fired power station and construction is expected to start next week.

TyPES OF STORIESproject story• Name of the project and location• Project description (brownfield or greenfield)• Mine project 1: (expansion or replacement)• Mine project 2: (output, when commissioned, when at full production)• Value• Duration• Breakdown of main contracts• Client• Latest developments• Companies awarded contracts• Any challenges• Any unique features or technology• Will the project require the use of structural steel and, if so, how much?• on budget and on time?

FINANCIAl PRESENTATIONAlways look for an angle beyond the results (new projects, new strategic direction, views on the business environment)But also include:• Earnings (net profit/loss after tax in R-million rather than earnings a share)• Can also include operating profit/loss as nonoperational issues often affect the bottom line.

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• If the company is looking to raise finance there are three issues to look at:1. If it is debt finance: Is it project finance or will it involve the issue of a bond?2. What is the company’s current gearing (debt:equity ratio) Do observers believe it has the capacity to raise more debt?3. If it is equity finance: What is the dilution factor on other shareholders and is there any attempt to limit dilution?

BEE DEAlS• Give a context of why the BEE deal is necessary (the company needs a licence to operate or the company wants to

secure its position as a supplier to a company that has a BEE procurement policy).• Give details of the nature of the consortium. Who leads it? Is it broad based and how is it structured?• How will the deal be funded? Will banks fund it, will shareholders fund it (through dilution), or will the company act as

a funder through vendor finance?• Is the deal expansionary? In other words, will the proceeds go into expanding the operation in some way?

COMPANy PROFIlES• Get a good generic description of the company. How does it describe itself?• Try to understand what the company actually does (we favour manufacturers over traders, but both have their place).• Does the company do any R&D? Does it have any of its own commercial innovations on the market?• Is it simply a conduit for imports? If so, what value does it add to the economy and its client base?• How is it being affected by macrofinancial (interest rate, rand), economic (growth rate, importation), and social trends

(BEE, social development)?• What new projects does it have on its book? Then use project questions.• What new products and services is it pursuing?• How many people does it employ?• What raw materials does it use in its business process?• Who is the leader?

note 1: When you write up these types of interviews, look for hard news in the form of projects, innovation or business development first. If there is nothing there, then move to issues confronting the industry as a whole.

note 2: If it was an exclusive interview, don’t hold the person to his exact quotes. If the language was a little rough, try to interpret it through indirect speech or finesse them into direct quotes that are more readable.

NEW PRODuCTS/NEW TECHNOlOGy• Be circumspect about the use of words such as ‘revolutionary’, ‘world-first’, unless you can verify that.• Try to write using as few adjectives as possible.• Be careful in making big changes to releases other than simplifying the language.• Make sure you know what the product does and for which sector it is appropriate purely by reading your text.• If it is a locally developed innovation, you can go a bit bigger.• Get chapter and verse on what has been spent, who the researchers were, who verified the product’s efficacy, where

it has been sold, whether it has export potential.• You could even do a sidebar on the innovator him/herself.

uNSOlICITED NEWS lEADSThe South African business environment has become prone to the emergence of individuals who attempt to create a profile for themselves in the media despite the absence of sound underlying business structures and/or experience. These individuals use that profile to tap into deal flow that would otherwise be out of their reach. Therefore, it has become necessary for Creamer Media to tighten procedures regarding its handling of unsolicited news leads. These procedures are: 1. Should a journalist receive an unsolicited news lead, she or he should immediately approach her or his editor to assess

whether the story should be pursued at all. 2. In instances where the source is unknown to the editor, the journalist will be asked to do a preliminary Web-based

investigation of the company and report back. During that preliminary probe, the journalist must assess what other reportage there has been on the company and individual, whether the company has a Web presence, and he or she should also phone the company switchboard to assess whether there is in fact more than a Web presence.

3. once that has been done, the responsible editor will either approve that the story be followed up, or will suggest that we politely decline the interview.

4. If the editor remains uncertain, there should be a meeting with other editors before the journalist is given permission to follows up.

5. Following the interview, the story should again be given to an editor before it is sent for clearance. If there are assets (such as a mine or a factory) or partners (such as a financier or a technology provider), the editor will ask the journalist to do another Web search to ascertain their existence. He or she will also ask the journalist to make a few calls to those companies to enquire about the company and its relationship with the source.

6. If satisfactory answers are not forthcoming, the story will be put on hold. If the answers are satisfactory, we will proceed.

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7. The journalist is also encouraged to write the piece in a manner that avoids editorialisation and/or commentary. The article should merely state the position of the source and, if possible, should include comment from business partners and third-party analysts. In other words, adjectives should be limited to generic descriptions rather than to offering any value assessments.

8. The same applies for the way we write about new products and services. Unless you are 100% certain that the products is truly a breakthrough, do not use the words such as ‘breakthrough’, ‘world first’, ‘revolutionary’, etc.

9. Should you have any further questions in this regard, please approach your editors.10. Golden Rule: Research and Check the Facts Before you Write!

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GuIDANCE FROM A TO ZAbbreviationsAlways write the full form on first appearance; for example, extensions are under way at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS); the bracketed abbreviation follows immediately. Try not to use the abbreviation too frequently by substituting a generic, for example, the bureau instead of SABS. Remember there is no need to abbreviate if the organisation is only mentioned once.

Do abbreviate:Chief executive officer, managing director and general manager in body text as CEO, MD and GM respectively. It is not necessary to write out in full at the first time of mention.• Director-general and Deputy director-general, are not abbreviated to DG and DDG respectively

Exceptions:• Write out Member of Parliament (MP) at the first time of mention.• Write out chief information officer (CIo) and chief technical officer (CTo) at the first time of mention. If used in a

title, such as the Africa CIo Summit, as this is the name of the event the acronym stands, but thereafter, it should be used in full, followed by the acronym in brackets.

Avoid using Prof, Gen and Col, but Dr is acceptable.

Do not abbreviate in body copy (although it is acceptable in headlines):• South Africa (SA in heads).• Million and billion in body copy for example, $46-million ($46m in heads).

Familiar abbreviations, such as GDP or Scada, must be written out on first mention, but may be used in headlines.For information on abbreviations used in units of measurement, see Annexure 3.

AcronymsIf an abbreviation can be and is pronounced, for example, Numsa, Nato, Seifsa and Gatt, then it is written in upper and lower case and further reference takes the following forms: . . . it was reported that Numsa . . . the Numsa delegates . . ..

In cases where it cannot be or is not pronounced, capitals are used, for example, SABC and GDP and further preceded by the, for example, the SABC will operate . . .

Note that the NuM and DIN are written in capitals because this is the way in which they are commonly referred to, African Rainbow Minerals is shortened to ARM, however, Kumba Iron Ore is Kumba when mentioned a second time and ArcelorMittal South Africa is Mittal

Agreement between subject and verbEngineering News and Mining Weekly always refer to companies in the singular: De Beers Consolidated Mines has completed its feasibility study.The building contractor, Buildright Engineering, refuses to comment on the allegations.In general, two ordinary nouns joined by the word ‘and’ take the plural form of the verb:• Time and tide wait for no manWhen the subject refers to one concept, notion or idea, it takes the singular form of the verb. It is important to establish the way in which the subject is perceived:• The wages of sin is death.• Fish and chips makes the perfect meal.There are some words that refer to a group, and can take either the singular or plural form, depending on the context of the sentence. When the noun refers to separate members or individuals, the plural form is used, but when the entity is meant, the verb takes the singular:• our team has lost every game.• The board has reached a conclusion.

Words that refer to pairs take the plural form, but not when the word pair is actually used:• Pliers were needed to lift the lid.• Where is my new pair of scissors?

Anybody refers to one person; therefore it always takes the singular form of the verb.Each always takes the singular, for example, Each of the men is going to succeed. But when each follows a plural word, use a plural verb: the workers are each expected to . . .None usually takes the singular form of the verb, for example, none of us understands his motivation. However, in some cases, the plural may be possible, for example, none of the tools are in good condition. Many is plural and uses the plural verb.

ApostropheThe apostrophe is usually used to indicate possession, for example, the gold mine’s profits.Names that end in ‘s’, for example, James and Jones become James’s and Jones’s when denoting possession. Euphony

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may decide the addition or omission of ‘s, although it is often omitted when the last syllable of the name is pronounced ‘iz’, and in Bridges’ and Moses’. Plural-sounding company names that end in ‘s’, take an apostrophe after the ‘s’ when denoting possession: De Beers’ exploration tenements.

Plural possessives ending in –s are written as bosses’, dogs’, directors’, countries’.

Apostrophes are not used in the plurals of abbreviations such as PCs and PLCs.

There is no apostrophe in 1980s, the 20s.

The towns Jeffreys Bay and Richards Bay do not take apostrophes, but Simon’s Town and King William’s Town do, however.

Apostrophes also indicate the place where a letter is missing from a word:• It’s wrong to judge = it is wrong to judge

Compare this to the possessive its:• Its profits have increased.

The apostrophe when used to mark the omission of a letter or numeral:• Don’t (do not)• That’s (that is)• Rock ‘n’ roll (rock and roll) • It’s (it is)• In ’94 or ’95 (1994 or 1995).

ArticlesUsed in every sentence, articles are an integral part of the English language. often misapplied, ‘a’ and ‘an’ are usually referred to as the indefinite articles. In general, an is used before a vowel while a appears before a consonant. An is also used before a silent ‘h’ (but not before the words hotel and hospital since the h is pronounced). In addition, words which begin with ‘u’ but are pronounced as though the begin with a ‘y’ are preceded by ‘a’, for example, a utensil, a useful idea; but an ugly gesture, an upstart. The definite article ‘the’ generally points to some particular subject, thereby distinguishing it from others named in the sentence. The effect of ‘the’ is stronger on a singular noun than with a plural:• The engineer will notice a difference in engine performance.• Engineers notice slight differences in engine performance.

Note that the definite articles should be used only when the purpose is to draw attention to a noun and it cannot be used interchangeably with a or an.

When adjectives that denote quantities belonging to different things are connected, the article should be repeated:• A black and a blue vehicle passed the test. (This means two vehicles.)

When connected adjectives relate to the same thing, the article must not be repeated:• A black and blue vehicle passed the test. (This means one vehicle.)

BoldThe full names of people are written in bold on first appearance in an article. Thereafter, use only the surname in medium font. Headings, crossheads and questions are also in bold.

Brackets and parenthesesPhrases can be inserted into a sentence in parentheses – ( ) – as an explanation or qualification. A phrase inserted in parentheses must make complete grammatical sense on its own and must not have any grammatical connection with the main sentence. Phrases used in parentheses must be kept short. Where possible, insert commas in place of these punctuation marks.Square brackets – [ ] – are used to enclose an explanation by the writer in clarification of a quoted source.

CapitalsGeneral rule – if in doubt, use lower case

All private appointments are written in lower case, for example, marketing manager and operations director. But CEO, MD and GM are never written out in full. Ranks and titles are written with a capital letter, but only when written in conjunction with a name, for example, President Jacob Zuma. When a title appears on its own, it is written in lower case, for example, the president. Note the capitalisation of political titles – Finance Minister, Cabinet Minister, Consul-General, (but Botswana Democratic Party secretary-general Daniel Kwelagobe); military titles – Colonel, Vice-Admiral; academic titles – Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Vice-Chancellor, Professor; plus, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth and God. Also capitalise: Councillor.Also note the capitals in State (as in government, but not in state of the economy), Internet, Web (but website) and Ethernet. Do not upper-case government when referring to, for example, the government of Mozambique.

When the name, Jan van der Merwe is written in full, van is lower case, but it takes a capital letter when the surname is used on its own or with a title, for example Van der Merwe or Professor Van der Merwe.

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The names of race groups are not written with a capital letter but Asians, Europeans, Africans and other group names, which are derived from the names on continents, are.

Definite geographical places, regions areas or countries take initial capitals. These include Western Cape, South East Asia, Middle East, South Atlantic, the West. Use lower case with east, west, north or south is used as an adjective, for example southern Free State and northern Canada, but South Africa’s West Coast.

Use lower case for province, city or state when it is not strictly part of a name, for example, Kuwait city, New york city, Washington state, Eastern Cape province.

The same applies to streets, rivers, dams and project names, for example, Smith street, Van Riebeeck avenue, Fish river, Katse dam, Alusaf Hillside smelter project, Kendal power station, but the lesotho Highlands Water Project.organisations, such as the National union of Mineworkers and Industrial Development Corporation, are written with caps.

The names of programmes or developments, which are not proper nouns, take lower case, for example, mine extension programme.Don’t be too liberal with caps.

Names of seagoing vessels should be in italics, for example, MSC Catania or MV Peace in Africa.

Common errors• Pacific ocean, not Pacific ocean.• Lowercase website.• Lowercase doctoral, as in ‘doctoral research’.

ClichésClichés become clichés because they are useful in the first instance; but although they can find a new life from the very fact that they are familiar expressions, they should be avoided. However, use a familiar phrase if it expresses meaning correctly, not just because it is easily recognised.

Collective nounsWords that refer to a group or collection of elements, for example:• Team, staff and joint venture, take the singular form:• The board has reached a conclusion.

However, in some cases, the sense may not lend itself to the singular:• The staff have collected money for the Christmas party.

A safe rule when using the word number:• The number is . . . A number are . . . (when number means many).

A pair and a couple are plural.

Think carefully before using the plural form.

ColonsIf a colon does not add to the clarity of the wording, then it should be omitted. For example: • The manufacturing facility has the following features: a tool shop, a spray booth and a training centre for artisans. If the

colon is removed, the sentence is still perfectly understandable. • Writers are often tempted to add a colon after “including”, and the same rule applies.• Before a whole quoted sentence, but not before part of a quoted sentence, for example, She said: “I need to hone my

gardening skills”. However, “I need to hone my gardening skills,” she says – is preferred by Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

• The colon is used to precede an explanation or to expand on what has gone before, for example, the cause of the fire was obvious: the wiring of the entire building had long been a reason for concern.

CommasUse commas sparingly. Short sentences are easier to read than long ones interspersed with many commas. Engineering News and Mining Weekly style is that if a sentence may be understood without using commas, they should be omitted:• Engineering Anonymous contract manager Piet Smith says the plant is operational.

usage examples: visible, felt leadership

Rather than• Piet Smith, contract manager for Engineering Anonymous, says the plant is operational.

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Commas are used to separate phrases or clauses. When a sentence begins with a subordinate clause, a comma must appear after the clause, that is, before the main clause:• While the four sets at Morupule were being phased in, the supply from Gaborone was phased out.

Two commas must be used when a phrase is inserted into a sentence parenthetically:• Large power stations, we have come to realise, require a lot of maintenance. Not: Large power stations, we have come

to realise require a lot of attention.

The use of commas is required when several items are listed in a sentence:• The local agency stocks valves, bolts and nuts. Don’t use commas before ‘and’ at the end of a list.

The use of the decimal point is mandatory, for example 2.6 and not 2,6. Also note that a space is used to separate thousands from hundreds (and not a comma), for example, 3 400.

CompaniesCall companies by the names they call themselves, but omit (Pty) ltd, limited and cc unless the name is used in an Engineering News plant profile when we specify Pty or limited, but never (Pty) ltd on the basis that if it is Pty it must be ltd and if it is limited it is a public company as opposed to private one. other abbreviations omitted after a company name are AG, SA or Gmbh. However, in Coal of Africa Limited and South African National Roads Agency Limited, the word ‘Limited’ remains because this is part of the name.The names of companies may be abbreviated after first appearance, for example, Atomic Energy Corporation (AEC).

Compound modifiersTwo words functioning as a single adjective should be hyphenated to ensure clarity, for example, long-term growth and twentieth-century technology.

Generally, no hyphen is needed between an adverb and an adjective:• A carefully researched article.

Neither is a hyphen required when single adjectives follow a noun:• The proposal was ill considered (but: an ill-considered proposal).

CurrenciesThe commonly used currencies of rand, dollar, pound, yen do not take initial capitals. When before a figure, currency abbreviations are used without a space, for example, €40 and $400. other examples of usage:• The European benchmark ferrochrome price has increased by 16%, to $1,03/lb, which is uS14c higher for the fourth

quarter• rand:dollar exchange rate

Countries:In most cases the names of countries should be written out in full. Exceptions are the uK for the united Kingdom and the uS for the united States of America.Note that Russia, often used interchangeably with the ex-Soviet union, is only one of the republics that make up the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Remember the use of capitalisation in country names, such as Far East, South America and sub-Saharan Africa.In cases where a country is know by more than one name, we used the United Nations list of member states as a reference for official names. For example, we refer to Côte d’Ivoire rather than Ivory Coast.

Use http://www.Un.org/en/members/index.Shtml to check the accuracy of country names.

DashThe dash (–) must not be confused with the hyphen (-). The hyphen links words whereas the dash separates groups of words. The presence of a dash indicates a slight pause.

DatesThe acceptable style for dates is october 27, 2009. Dates are always written out in full. Note that when a date is written out in midsentence, a comma follows the year, for example, on September 3, 1939, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. • Use twentieth century rather than 20th century.• Wherever possible, use exact dates rather than the mid-1920s.• Likewise, avoid the use of hyphens between two dates, for example, 1995-96. Use a slash instead, for example, 1995/6• 2008/9, not 2008/2009• August 2009, not August, 2009.• on June 2 and 3, Nersa held hearings

DefamationWe need to be very careful to avoid a situation where we find ourselves in hot water for defaming any individuals or companies, or making ourselves vulnerable to any claims that we have defamed anyone. It was not long ago that another

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mining publication from South Africa suffered a heavy blow when it was taken to court in London for the alleged defamation of a Russian mine owner. The settlement cost them millions of rands.

If you are ever in doubt as to whether an article is defamatory, get it checked before we publish it on our website or in our magazines. We really cannot afford to make any mistakes in this regard. As Martin Creamer always says, “If in doubt, find out or leave it out.”

Webber Wentzel defines defamation law as a branch of the law of delict (or tort), which protects a person’s reputation. The law of defamation seeks to find a workable balance between two conflicting rights:• the right to an unimpaired reputation (the right to dignity); and • the right to freedom of expression.The law of defamation protects the reputation of a person; reputation is defined as ‘the estimation or good opinion, which an individual has in the eyes of society’. All natural persons are entitled to sue for defamation, as are trading and non-trading juristic persons.

The law allows a plaintiff to claim against a defendant if the plaintiff is able to prove three elements: that the defendant (a) published, (b) defamatory matter, (c) referring to the plaintiff. In respect of defamatory material published on the Internet, the High Court has held that publication takes place where the material is accessed (i.e. where the content of the website is downloaded). on proof of the above three elements, the defendant is presumed to have published the matter wrongfully and with the intention of defaming the plaintiff.

It is then for the defendant to rebut either of these presumptions by relying on a defense. There are three traditional defenses:• Truth in the public interest. Here, the defendant argues that the material allegations contained in the defamatory

statement are substantially true and were made in the public interest;• The defamatory statement amounted to fair comment on a matter of public interest (e.g. an editorial or a satirical

cartoon); or• Qualified privilege. The defendant will escape liability in the absence of malice if he or she is under a legal, moral

or social duty to publish defamatory matter, and the recipient has a similar interest or duty in receiving it (e.g. an employment reference). This defence also extends to the fair and accurate reporting of the proceedings of Parliament, courts and certain other public bodies.

It is also possible to be sued for defamation for comments made on the social web, such as Twitter or Facebook – or on blogs, forum discussions or in messages sent by email. So think before you vent.

EllipsesThe ellipsis (. . .) should be used only to mark the omission of a word or phrase from a quoted source.

Ethnic groupsAvoid distinguishing different races. Since South Africa’s move to democracy and the announcement of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, many companies have invested in small business, rural and human resource develop-ment. This has sparked the use of racist classifications for projects, such as the black managers’ programme or under- privileged housing subsidies (note the use of lower case). Avoid mentioning race if it does not detract from the story.

Foreign wordsTry not to use foreign (anything not English) words and phrases. Avoid Latin phrases in particular. Use:• on site rather than in situ, if you mean the machine was assembled on site, but use in situ if you mean the in situ ore

reserves – the ore reserves in the ground, prior to mining• a year rather than per year – the rule with the use of ‘per’ is that it can be used if substituting ‘a’ or ‘for each’ does not

read well, for example, ‘ . . . about £441 a year per person’ is better than ‘ . . . about £441 a year a person.’• year rather than annum• through or by rather than via

However, in South Africa:• Lekgotla, which translates as ‘meeting place’, in Tswana is italicised, but indaba, which is Zulu and means ‘a

conference, a council or a matter for discussion’, is not. Judging by the number of search engine hits, Indaba is, by far, the more commonly used of the two, and is widely adopted – at least in South Africa.

• Names of languages. Use Zulu, not isiZulu

Forward slash is the name of the “/” character on the computer keyboard. Examples of common usage:• quartz/magnetite/chalcopyrite veins.

GenderAvoid differentiating between the sexes. Use:• chairperson not chairman• businessperson not businessman

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• draughtsperson not draughtsman; draughtsmen becomes draughtspeople• work hours not man hours• work years not man years• labour not manpower• worker’s compensation not workman’s compensation• spokesperson not spokesman or spokeswoman• firefighters, not firemen or firepeople• service personnel, not servicemen• women-owned, not female owned

Where this rule doesn’t work that well is when using middleman or middlemen, which would, if this rule is followed, be changed to middleperson or middlepersons, ie, the iron-ore is sold at low prices and the middlepersons make a big profit selling on at inflated prices. Middlepersons just doesn’t work. For the same reason, foundrymen remains foundrymen.

Hanging clausesWatch out for hanging clauses when beginning a sentence with an adjectival or adverbial phrase. Ensure that the phrase qualifies the subject of the sentence. avoid at all costs: • A specialist of extensive experience, the board entrusted him with the project.HyphenationSee Annexure one

Information TechnologyIn this rapidly evolving field, it is often difficult to keep up the correct usage of the related technology. Examples are:• elearning• cloud computing• emessagingInitialsThe initials of people’s names are never used in body copy. Always write first names and surnames and not initials, for example, William Jones not WH Jones. The initials of directors are, however, used in company profiles, for example, marketing director WH Jones, not W.H. Jones.The acronyms of companies or initials in company names are also used without points or spaces, for example, AEC not A.E.C. Remember to spell out the company’s name at first mention in an article.

Inverted commasDouble inverted commas are used in direct speech:“The state of the industry is more positive since the elections,” says Engineering Anon MD Burt Smith.If certain words are quoted as they appear, double inverted commas are necessary: MacGregor remarked that the Minister had “fervently promised some sort of remuneration”.

Single inverted titles are used to enclose the titles of articles or reports, for example, ‘Wheels within Wheels’.

Single inverted commas are used to indicate a quotation within a quotation:

“The president of the association has agreed to ‘challenge imports head-on’ and will be announcing a plan early next year,” reports SAACE member John Brett.Single inverted commas are also used to indicate an unusual word or phrase:The advent of ‘chronobiology’ could change the world.They are also used to indicate a quote in a headline or in a pullout quote.

JargonAvoid at all costs. Technical terms work well in proper context and should be defined or briefly explained early in the article. In many instances a simpler synonym is the harder-working word. Remember, you don’t sacrifice precision when omitting jargon.

legal aspectsThere are three legal pitfalls into which journalists can fall: defamation, contempt of court and interfering with sub judice matters.Defamation is the publication of any injurious statement in respect of another person or class of persons with the intent of causing disrepute to his or her name, company credit or reputation.

Contempt of court includes irresponsible reporting to the extent that the judge or magistrate has reason to consider the report an interference with the process of the law. Matters under consideration by a court are sub judice until evidence is heard. Any report written on the case must not impute blame to any party. Report – don’t judge.

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listsNo colons in front of lists, unless the list is bulleted.lower caseRefer to the section on capitals. If in doubt as to whether to use capitals or lower case, opt for lower case.

MeasurementsSee Annexure Three

MetaphorsAlthough a skilfully used metaphor can evoke a visual image, adding this new dimension to a story can be tricky. To use this figure of speech without loss of vividness steer clear of dipping into the well of worn-out metaphors, which will only tire the reader and force him or her to move on to another story. Use all metaphors sparingly. Strive for accuracy, not ambiguity.

NamesThe names of people are written out in full and appear in bold on first appearance. Thereafter, only the surnames are used when using direct or reported speech.

Numbers • Never start a sentence with a figure; write out the number in words.• Numbers one to ten are written out in full, unless the number is a decimal, for example, 4.6 and 5.9 or precedes a unit

of measure, for example, 4%.• Use two-billion and ten-million, but R10-million, not ten-million rands.• Fractions should be hyphenated when spelled out in full, for example, two-thirds, even when the number is higher than

ten. The same applies to figures used as adjectives: He gave a tenth (not 10th) of his salary to the poor.• When ‘to’ is being used as a ratio it is best to spell it out rather than use a colon: They voted nine votes to two,

to abandon the project. However, ratios expressed as percentages can be referred to in figures, for example, the shareholding was 50:50.

• It is acceptable to have 22 000 but million and billion must be written out in full and with a hyphen, for example, R22-million, R2 689.5-million.

• Do not use a hyphen in place of ‘to’ when using two figures: the project will take 12 to 18 months (not 12-18 months) to complete.

• When million is used, for example one-million tons, it has to be written out in full if the number is below 11. Do not use 1-million tons. However, 3.2-million tons and 1 t is acceptable, as is 4 c/t.

• If there is a sequence of numbers, use figures as in ‘9 of the 11 units’, or . . . ’by 10-million tons to 13-million tons’.Use:• fiftieth not 50th anniversary; however, if the number is too long, for example thirty-thousandth, rather use 30 000th.• 20 m a minute, not 20 m/m• 20° angle, but 30 °C • twelve 200 mm pinch valves• five-thousandths of a millimetre (.005 mm)• the project is expected to take 24 to 30 months, not take between 24 months to 30 months.

Ongoing, one word

Omitted wordsPassages omitted from a quotation must be indicated by three dots (. . .) or four dots (. . . .) to indicate a full stop. Please note the space between the dots.

PercentageUse the sign % instead of per cent wherever possible. Write 5%, 30% but five per cent and thirty per cent when starting a sentence with a percentage.When hyphenating, use:• 26%-owned by . . .

The ‘Four Ps’Engineering News and Mining Weekly have their own unique hierarchy of subject importance. These are, in order of preference:• Projects (major developments, their values and the companies involved)• Products (introduction of innovative technology in products and its features)• People (who’s making the news)• Policy (government regulations in industry)

• These can be extended to include:• Polemic (debate the issues, present both sides of the story)

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• Probing (this is what investigative journalism is all about!)• Prodding (encourage formal institutions to take action)• Praise (acknowledge creditworthy performance)• Please (give the reader what he or she wants)

And there’s another ‘P’ – Priority. Journalism has evolved with the advent of online reporting, which needs to be brief and to the point. The ‘inverted pyramid’ is a metaphor used to illustrate how information should be arranged or presented in a report; the most important facts first and less important detail tapering to the inverted point of the pyramid. This historic form of news writing is ideally suited to the web and also suits many of the articles written for Creamer Media publications as it makes editing easier when text needs to be cut for layout purposes.

Pyramid format writing is more suited to academic papers, where a foundation is supported by research findings, data and extensive summaries. It is unsuited to journalism.

Feature writing results in several pages of articles, supported by photos and advertising, providing an overview of an engi-neering or mining aspect. It is vital to ensure that writing is informative, interesting and relevant in support of the Engineering News and Mining Weekly status as an essential source of information for those involved in the engineering and mining sectors. To this end, the inverted pyramid format is often best suited to feature writing, but the flow of information may dictate the use of other formats.

The question and answer format is also used to bring variety and interest to the publications. It is also suited to on-line journalism and is popular in personality profiles.

Cover stories for Engineering News and Mining Weekly typically begin with a scene-setting opening paragraph and then present various points of view on the topic – setting out the challenges, successes, dilemmas and other aspects, and ending with a thought-provoking concluding paragraph.

The more interpretive narrative form of writing is not a style associated with Creamer Media but is often used in magazines, where the article opens with a human-interest story designed to catch the reader’s attention. The writer presents the facts or views by crafting these around this story and other illustrative stories. The key message or messages unfold throughout the piece and may or may not wrap in a punchy conclusion.

Most published columns follow a format of writing and columnists are featured in Engineering News and Mining Weekly. There are many fine examples of this format in a myriad of publications and many talented writers who have become esteemed columnists, some who have become powerful opinion formers in arenas from politics and sport to entertainment and food.

QuotationsQuotations are not something written but rather something that is spoken. Hence, make a quote less formal and more friendly. Strive to reflect the speaker’s character. Quote only when imperative.

Quotation marksQuotation marks are used in direct speech:• “Tourism will benefit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” says Tourism Minister Marthinus van SchalkwykThey are also used when quoting phrases within a sentence:• We are warned that “the legislation will force industry to evaluate its production processes”.

Note the relative placing of quotation marks and punctuation: if a complete sentence is quoted, the final stop should be placed inside the quotation marks and, if the quotation forms part of a sentence, the quotation marks should precede any punctuation marks.

Relative pronounsIn short, ‘who’, or ‘whom’ is used for people while ‘which’ or ‘that’ is used for animals and inanimate objects. Note that a company is not human and therefore it does not take ‘who’:• The company that survived . . .

not• The company who survived . . .

Note also: • The company, the premises of which are situated in . . .

rather than• The company, whose premises are situated in . . .

Reported speechEngineering News and Mining Weekly style is to report before attributing the speech:• “The product has enjoyed unprecedented success,” reports Engineering Anon sales manager Joe Myburg.rather than• Engineering Anon sales manager Joe Myburg says: “The product has enjoyed unprecedented success.”Note that the attributive verb is always in the present unless reporting on a speech or presentation. Use says not said, explains not explained, reports not reported.

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Semicolons and colonsSemicolons mark a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a full stop. They can be used to distinguish phrases listed after a colon if commas will not do the job clearly. Don’t overdo.• The colour patterns are red, white and blue; silver, green and purple; gold, black and yellow; and grey, brown and orange.• They agreed on only three points: that the ceasefire should be immediate; it should be internationally supervised, preferably by the AU; and a peace conference should be held, either in Geneva or ouagadougou.

SlangSlang, like metaphors, should be used only occasionally if it is to have any effect. Even then, slang should be used with caution.Examples of South African slang include bakkie (pick-up), dorp (town), dwaal (lost), fundi (from the Nguni umfundisi, meaning teacher or preacher), gogga (insect), howzit, just now (shortly), muti (medicine) platteland (countryside), takkies (as in wheels or running shoes) and vrot (rotten or smelly).Avoid using expressions such as thumbs up or thumbs down, guesstimate, massive. As an alternative, always opt for the simpler, clearer word.

SpacingA space must be left between a figure and its unit of measurement: 26 m, 32 km, 12 ℓ and 30 ºC (temperature) is the correct style, but 24% and 16º (angles). Also note the use of the hyphen in adjectival forms: a 12-ℓ can, a 15-km journey.

Split infinitivesSplitting of infinitives is justified only when avoiding ambiguity. Compare: our object is to further cement trade relations (split infinitive), and our object is to cement further trade relations.He wanted to desperately expand his business. (wrong)He desperately wanted to expand his business. (right)

StyleGolden rule: News first, scene-setting second, context third, comment last. (Pack article with news, limit commentary.)

Guidelines:1. If you don’t understand your sentence or article, no-one else will. Rewrite it until it is clear. Don’t forget punctuation.2. Exhaust your angle before moving into a new theme.3. Have appropriate joiners to introduce a new theme (meanwhile, in addition, another key priority . . .)4. Multisource where appropriate and always get the other side of the debate if one is raised.5. Limit the use of direct quotes and rather interpret for the reader in indirect speech.6. (Most important) read your article through three times before submission to an editor or a source.

TensesThe present tense is the norm when writing an article:• Johansen says that building will start in two months’ time.

The past tense is used only when reporting on a speech which has already occurred:• MacKenzie said in his inaugural speech that he was looking forward to his term of office. Note that was and not is is used after the word said. The past tense will follow throughout the rest of the reported speech.

For the sake of immediacy it is better to say:Retecon has been commissioned as main contractor rather than Retecon was commissioned.

TimeTime should always be given in figures according to the 24-hour clock without specifying am or pm or using an ‘h’:• A decision is expected by 14:00 on Monday• Don’t use three years to five years. Use three to five years

TitlesAlthough the overriding principle is to treat people with respect, do not indulge people’s self-importance unless it is insulting not to use the titles they themselves adopt.Titles are used only to indicate positions of importance, for example, Professor Jan Goldblatt; Dr Jack Mulder, Sir Ernest oppenheimer.Mr, Mrs and Miss are not used in Engineering News and Mining Weekly. First names and surnames are used on first mention: Nols oliver not Mr Nols oliver. After having used a person’s first name and surname once, just his surname is necessary thereafter: Oliver not Mr Oliver, Mulder not Dr Mulder and Goldblatt not Professsor Goldblatt.The only time Mr is used is for the names of judges, for example Mr Justice J McArthur.People’s designations in a company are rarely written with capitals.The designations of general manager, chief executive officer and managing director are always abbreviated to GM, CEO and MD respectively.

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Note: For the sake of brevity and ease of reading, use Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies rather than Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies.

Book titlesWhile newspaper and magazine titles are not written in Italics, with the exception of our own publications, Engineering News and Mining Weekly or the on-line Polity and Research Channel Africa, book titles are italicised, for example, The Long Walk to Freedom. Titles of articles appearing in a book, newspaper or magazine, and titles of reports, are enclosed in single inverted commas, for example, ‘Wheels within wheels’, ‘Gold hits new high’ and ‘World Competitiveness Report’.

Song and movie titles are Italicised – no quotes – for example Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and District Nine.

Italics are used for the titles of books or poems, for example, Oliver Twist; the titles of films, for example, White Wedding; names of ships and aircraft, for example, Destiny and Challenger and words from another language, for example, lekgotla.

units of measure – see Annexure Three

unnecessary wordsSome words, while adding length to an article, do nothing for journalistic style. Adjectives can be used to make your meaning more precise but you should guard against those that serve only as decorations. Prime examples are very and wide.

Deleting these from a phrase rarely detracts from their intended meaning:• The chances of inflation increasing in the next two years are (very) good.• The company offers a (wide) range of petrochemical products.

other examples include strike instead of strike action; cuts instead of cutbacks; record instead of track record; sold instead of sold off.Watch points(Engineering News and Mining Weekly no-nos)

There are several words and phrases that Engineering News prefers not to use.• According to – Tom Ansley says is preferred• Address/ed – Do not use address or addressed as a verb. Substitute with words like confront, consider, promote.• Almost all – Most is more concise, although an exact figure would be even better• Annually and per annum – use yearly or a year instead of Latin words.• Anticipates – rather use expects• Approximately – About or almost is preferred.• At the same time – Simultaneously is preferred.• Company location – do not write Endenvale-based Acme Props but Acme Props, of Edenvale.• in situ – On site is preferred.• Intros – Do not start introductions with company names unless the alternative is grammatically incorrect or very

cumbersome.• Now – Avoid using unless its omission changes the meaning of a sentence.• Number of – Several is preferred.• Per – Use of this word should be avoided. For example, eight hours per day can be replaced by eight hours a day.• Percentage – When writing percentages use per cent rather than percent.• Presently – means soon, not at present. Avoid.• Quantity – Please distinguish between amount, number and quantity (and fewer and less).• Recently – Avoid using as the word is vague and, in some cases, redundant. Rather use the exact date or nothing at

all.• on his visit to South Africa . . . not . . . on his recent visit to Africa.• The building has been finished . . . not . . . The building was recently finished.• ‘S’ vs ‘Z’ – The letter ‘s’ is preferred to the letter ‘z’ as a verbal ending: emphasise rather than emphasize; specialise

rather than specialize. Use horizon, not horison.• Today – do not use, except in cases such as . . . “Engineering News can today report’.

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Areas of common difficulty

AAbility, CapacityAbility is physical and mental power, particularly the power to plan and execute, while capacity is the power to receive:• The MD has the ability to carry out the company’s rationalisation plans.• The MD has a great capacity for technical equations and mathematical calculations. • The plant has a production capacity of 500 t/y.Academic qualifications should be mentioned in chronological order, for example, BA, MA.Act and Bill – as in legislation, are cappedAccording to – Tom Ansley says is preferred.Advertisement, is preferred to advertAddress/ed – do not use address or addressed as a verb. Substitute with words like confront, consider, promote.

Addressing issues – rather use tackling or dealing with

Adviser, not advisor

Affect/effect. Affect and effect as verbs are frequently confused. Effect is ‘to bring about’, ‘to accomplish’, affect is to ‘produce an effect on’, ‘to attack, ‘move or touch’. The majority of the time you use affect with an a as a verb and effect with an e as a noun.

Examples from the CM style guide:• The struggling economy had a disastrous effect on the gold price• The struggling economy affected the gold price terribly.

• The Chinese and South African markets had been impacted on to a lesser extent. Replace ‘impacted on’ with affected.

Aims, ObjectivesAims are the goals set and objectives are the measurements we undertake to achieve the aims.

Almost all – most is more concise, although an exact figure would be even better.

Allow, enable and afford

allow means to:• give permission for something to happen or somebody to do something, or take no action or make no rule to prevent it• let somebody or something enter or be present in a place• let somebody or yourself have something, often a benefit or pleasure of some kind• give or credit somebody with an amount of money as a discount or in exchange for something• set aside or make available something such as a period of time or amount of material for a particular purpose• take something into consideration or make provision for it when making a plan or decision• admit something or accept it to be true or valid (formal)• present something as possible or reasonable (formal)• US usage means to state or suppose

Enable means to:• provide somebody with the resources, authority or opportunity to do something• make something possible or feasible (note: this definition is not given for ‘allow’.)

Afford means to:• be able to meet the cost of something without unacceptable difficulty• be able to do or provide something without unacceptable or disadvantageous consequences. Do not use ‘allow’ when

you mean afford as in to ‘to do’ or ‘to provide’.• be able to spare something without unacceptable or disadvantageous con-sequences• supply or provide something

Allusion, illusion, delusionThe first two especially are frequently confused. An allusion is an indirect or covert reference to something. An illusion is a false or mistaken conception. A delusion is a view of belief so utterly false that it suggests insanity:• In the first stanza, the poet makes several allusions to the works of earlier poets. The author alludes to Hamlet but

nowhere names the play.• Though he had never managed to publish anything, he was under the illusion that he was a poet. • In his famous speech in the fourth act of the Tempest, Prospero presents the world as a vase illusion• The belief that he and his soldiers could not be harmed by the enemy’s bullets was only one of the delusions he

suffered.

Allusive, elusive, elusory, illusoryAllusive is the adjectival form of allusion. When poets make frequent allusions, wespeak of their style as allusive. If we call something elusive or elusory, we mean that it is perplexing, difficult to grasp (it

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eludes us). Illusory is the adjectival form of illusion. To call something illusory is to say that it is deceptive, that it has the character of an illusion.

Alternate(ly), alternative(ly)Alternate(ly) implies ‘first one, then the other’. Alternative(ly) traditionally referredto ‘a choice between two’, but its use in referring to ‘a choice among several possibilities’ is now firmly established:• They marched and rested on alternate days.• They worked and played alternately and never became bored.• They could surrender; alternatively, they could retreat and wait for another opportunity to attack.• The generals had several alternatives to choose from in deciding on a course of action.

Annually. Use yearly or a year instead of Latin words.

Anticipate, expect – use expect instead where appropriate

Anticipate means to:1. imagine or consider something before it happens and make any necessary preparations or changes.2. think or be fairly sure that a certain thing will happen or come.3. feel excited, hopeful, or eager about something that is going to happen.4. imagine or consider something that might happen and take action to prevent it.5. say or do something before it becomes fashionable or comes into widespread use (formal).6. make use of something before it has actually been received (formal).Expect means to:1. believe with confidence, or think it likely, that an event will happen in the future.2. wait for, or look forward to, something that you believe is going to happen or arrive.3. demand or anticipate receiving something because of a perceived right to it or because it is somebody’s duty to give it.Amend, emendAmend means ‘to alter’, usually in the sense of improving something. Emend means ‘to remove errors from’:• The legislature met to amend the country’s constitution.• Several amendments to the motion were passed.• The writer emended two passages in the typescript• The manuscript shows that the writer made several emendations before submitting the article for publication.American spellingThe only time this is not changed to UK spelling is when it is the name of an American organisation, for example: The Center for Disease Control.Among (not amongst), betweenTraditionally between and among were carefully distinguished in both speech and writing. Something could be divided between two people or among more than two. Among continues to imply ‘more than two’, while between has come to be permitted when more than two are indicated. Even in formal writing, between can be used with more than two when it is used spatially or geographically:• Their house was situated between the railway, the road and the shopping centre.• Apart from this exception, unless your phrasing lands you in difficulties, you should observe the distinction in formal

writing. The correct expression is between you and me (between us) and not between you and I.Ante, Anti – ante means before and anti means against:• An antecedent is a preceding thing or circumstance. • An antidote is a remedy against poison.Approximately – about or almost is preferredArchaisms Archaic är-ká-ik, adj. ancient; savouring of the past; not absolutely obsolete but not longer in general use; old-fashioned.examples:• Coolth = coolness• Proven = proved• Thereafter = after that• Therein• Thereof = of that• Whilst = while• Amid = among• Amongst = amongNot archaic but a nonword: TelephonicAt the same time – simultaneously is preferredArtisanal mining, not artisinal miningAutocatalyst, not auto catalyst.Aside and Apart. Aside means to or toward the side, for example, he stepped aside; away from others or into privacy, for example, she pulled him aside; out of the way especially for future use, for example, they are putting aside savings. Apart means at a little distance, for example, he tried to keep apart from the family squabbles; or away from one another, as in space or time, for example, they lived in towns 20 km apart.

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BBackup, not back-upBail-out, as in following a bail-out by JSE-listed company Zambia Copper Investments.Baseload, not base load. Use baseload expansion, baseload generation capacity.Basin is lowercased (like reef) – for example, the Witwatersrand basin or the Eastern, Western and Central basins. Geologically, a basin is a broad tract of land in which the rock strata are tilted toward a common centre, or a large, bowl-shaped depression in the surface of the land or ocean floor. It is also the catchment area of a particular river and its tributaries or of a lake or sea.Beside, besidesBeside is a preposition while besides is a conjunction or an adverb meaning ‘as well as’:• He sat down beside the toolbox.• Besides gaining a head start in the local market, the company found success in the export market.Biannually – twice a year. one word. See also Biennially.Biennially – occurring every two years. one word.Bloc: a bloc is a group of countries or people with a shared aim. Born, borneA child is born but the burden of birth is borne by the mother. If what you wish to express is not related to birth, the word you should use is borne. Borne refers to burdens, insults and responsibilities.Breakthrough, not break throughBy-product, not by product

CCalled/known as – be careful about using either. You may have called someone an expert, but the person may not be known as one. A current trend is to write: “the R5-million machine, called ‘Mighty Mouse’, has . . .” , when “the R5-million, machine, ‘Mighty Mouse’, has . . .” would be acceptable!Both cannot and can not are acceptable spellings, but the first is much more usual. You would use can not when the ‘not’ forms part of another construction such as ‘not only’Capex, is an abbreviation for capital expenditure; however, use ‘was spent on capital projects’ instead of ‘was spent on capex’.Cause, reason – the cause of an event is the power or agency that brings about its circumstance, while its reason is an explanation formulated in the human mindCautionary. We do not need to write ‘cautionary announcement or notice’ when the phrase ‘ the company issued a cautionary yesterday morning, prior to the announcement of its quarterly results’ is understandable.Cash flow, not cashflowCentury• twenty-first century,• twenty-first-century skillsChannel, as in Maputo channel, is lowercasedCity, we uppercase ‘City of Johannesburg’, but city on its own, is lowercasedCoalfield, one word – but coal bed is two words, for example ‘the coal bed is to be mined’.Co – the use of the prefix co is confusing. Here are some examples of when to use a hyphen:• Cochairperson, not co-chairperson• Co-opt• Coowner• Co-operation• Coordination• Co-suppliers• Co-modality• Cofiring boilers, not co-firing • Coinvestors, not co-investorsColour, lower case blue, green, yellow etcCommonwealth, not Common WealthCompare to, compare with• ‘Compared to’ is used when the subjects are of different orders, for example:• International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) compared to US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US

GAAP).• Recent climate observations compared to projections• But developments in diesel technology have to be compared to continuing advancements in gasoline-powered

vehicles.• ‘Compared with’ is used when the subjects are of the same order, for example:• Cash generated from operations increased by 134% to R147.3-million compared with R62.9-million the year before.• Refracting telescopes compared with reflecting telescopes,• When discussing climate Japan is often compared with California because of its north-south placement.

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An easy way to remember is that you can compare one type of apple with another type of apple, but you would compare an apple to an orange.Competence – The state or quality of being adequately or well qualified; ability. The plural is competences, as in “Aurecon will be exhibiting its mining competences”. Compliment, -ary (flattering), is often confused with complement, -ary (in completion of) or form a complement to as in ‘her scarf complements her dress’.Complex, as in Bushveld Complex, is capped.Compound modifiersTwo words functioning as a single adjective should be hyphenated to ensure clarity, for example, long-term growth and twentieth-century technology. Generally, no hyphen is needed between an adverb and an adjective, for example, a carefully researched article. Neither is a hyphen required when single adjectives follow a noun, for example, the proposal was ill considered (but, an ill-considered proposal).Contemporary (noun and adjective) means both ‘belonging to the same period of time’ and ‘current, of our own time’. This can lead to confusion. If contemporary is used in a sentence that refers to an earlier period or a particular person, it means ‘of that period or that person’s period’. It is therefore incorrect to write: Shakespeare’s plays are relevant to contemporary problems, if what you mean is that his plays are relevant to problems of our own time. As a rule, if you refer to an earlier period or a particular person who lived in an earlier period, and you want to relate that period or person to our own time, avoid using contemporary in your sentences. Find an acceptable substitute to express what you want to say. The following show some of the correct uses of contemporary:• Shakespeare’s plays surpass even the best works of his contemporaries.• Blake’s poetry is significantly different from the work of contemporary poets.• Ben Jonson was a contemporary of Shakespeare.• Emily Dickinson’s poetry was largely ignored by contemporary writers and critics.Continual, continuousContinual implies a recurrence at frequent intervals; continuous means extending uninterruptedly, unbroken and connected. The best way to remember the difference between these words is to make up a saying along the lines of the following: You can learn to play a musical instrument by continual practice; but your effort cannot be continuous.Contracts are awarded, not rewarded.Copperbelt is one word and capped.Crosscuts, not cross cuts.CurrencyWhen speaking it is acceptable to say ‘ten rand’ or a ‘million rand’ – we all do it; but when writing – especially for publication – we must write ‘ten rands’ or ‘a million rands’. However, if rand is used adjectivally, then it remains rand and may need to be hyphenated, for example, a multibillion-rand initiative.Cutoff, not cut-off

DDataIn Latin, data is the plural of datum, meaning, ‘one piece of information’. Datum is infrequently used. When it is used, it typically means ‘thing known or granted, unquestionable fact’.The word data is often used with a plural verb; however, increasingly it is used as a collective noun denoting a single body of facts or information. In such constructions it takes a singular verb. It is correct to use the singular construction unless it seems awkward in the particular sentence you are writing:• The available data are insufficient to draw any conclusions• The data on the subject is rather meagreDatabase, not data baseDependant, dependentDependant is the noun, while dependent is the adjective.Dependence is a state of being dependent on somebody.Dependency – a territory subject to nonadjacent country, or overreliance on a drug.Die casting is not hyphenated, for example ‘die casting technology”.Differ with, differ fromNormally a distinction is drawn between differ with and differ from. We differ with eople when we do not agree with them. Differ from is used in the sense of ‘be different’. The confusion arises because although I may differ with you (or disagree with you) my ideas would be said to differ from yours.Differ with is the more frequently used expression. In present usage, differ from is often replaced by phrases using different:• He differs with those historians who think of history as the actions of famous people.• His description differs from the accounts of other anthropologists.Different from/to/thanAlthough different has been used variously with from, to and than since at least the seventeenth century, expressions using different can trigger off heated disagreement among grammarians. Many writers continue to insist that different from is the only permissible construction, though more recently some have been prepared to tolerate different to in speech and even in writing.

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Directions:• North-west Johannesburg• North-western bypass route• North-northeast of Sishen• Unless a town is very small, it is not necessary to write ‘the mine is situated 25 km west of the town of Musina’, when ’25 km west of Musina’ would suffice.Diversified, as in ‘a diversified mining company’. To be classed as a diversified mining company, the company needs to mine at least three different minerals, for example, gold, coal and iron. An example is BHP Billiton.Downtime, one word.Draft, an air current, the order to join the armed services, a preliminary sketch or plan, a preliminary report or speech, a written order to pay money, a drink, a dose of medicine, the depth required for a ship to float.Draughting, not drafting, services. Draughtsperson or draughting technicianDue diligence, not due diligence studyDue to, owing to – see ‘O’

EElectricity. We use electricity, not electrical power.Electromechanical, not electro-mechanicalEn dash – The en dash is used instead of a hyphen to indicate a break in a sentence followed by information, which adds to or clarifies the first part of the sentence, sometimes as an alternative to using brackets. It is also used in lists to avoid using too many commas. other uses include:• A public–private partnership, were the usage of a hyphen may be deemed adjectival when, instead, the two entities

have equal weight.• Lloyd-Jones (one person), but a Lennon–McCartney composition (two people).• Paris–Dakar Rally.• Johannesburg–London–Cairo trip.• Waterval-Boven–Waterval-onder railway line.EndDoes ‘in the end’ and ‘at the end’ mean the same thing? ‘In the end’ is most commonly used to mean finally or after a long while. ‘At the end’ is generally used to mean the point where something stops.End-user is hyphenated. Collins does not hyphenate this, but we do. Enormity means extreme evil or moral offensiveness or a very evil or morally offensive deed. An enormity can mean sheer size, terrible nature or atrocity, so be careful in its usage, for example:• The enormity of war crimes.• The bombing of the defenceless population was an enormity beyond belief. When referring to size, cope, extent, influence or immensity, examples include:• The enormity of the task.• The enormity of such an act of generosity is staggering.eresearch, not e-research

FFarther, further – farther has reference to distance; further to continuance:• He rode farther• Further to our conversation Fast-tracking is hyphenatedFibre-optic cable, not fibre-optics cableFollow-up is the noun, follow up is the verbForklift, one wordFundraising, one wordFurther, not furthermore

GGasfields, not gas fieldsGoing forward is one of those phrases people like to use; however, if dropped from a sentence and the meaning is unchanged, it is best deleted.Government, it is not necessary to use “the” in front of government – use “ . . . commitment to government’s economic agenda”, rather than “. . . commitment to the government’s economic agenda”. Similarly, do not use “the” in front of Cabinet.Groundwater, one word.Groundwork, one word.

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HHappen, occur, take placeHappen and occur usually refer to circumstances beyond control whereas take place refers to things that are done intentionally:• The accident occurred in the plant.• The meeting will take place tomorrow.• What happened to Europe’s winter? • Something really pivotal has happened to South Africa’s public finances; they have collapsed – and the fault does not

lie entirely with the global recession.Hard wearing (two words), as in hard wearing and corrosion resistantHealthcare, one wordHematite, not haematiteHowever Many of you have trouble using the word ‘however’, which is usually followed by a comma when used as the first world of a sentence, and preceded and followed by a comma when used later in a sentence. For instance: In any case, however, the siphon may be filled.When it means ‘to whatever extent’ ‘however’ needs no following comma, for example, “Bring the drum, however full it is.”However can come at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence, but it is best positioned immediately after the item that is held up for contrast: ‘ In the morning, however, nothing was done’ (in contrast to the preceding afternoon). It should be surrounded by commas unless it means ‘no matter how’, as in ‘however hard I work’.Hot spots, two words.Hyphenation. See Annexure one

IImpact or impacted is followed by ‘on’, as in ‘China and South Africa have been impacted on to a lesser extent’. However, ‘the meteriorite impact was felt . . .” is not followed by ‘on’ as, in this case, impact implies force.Indicate/suggest – sometimes used incorrectly. You can indicate your approval with a nod; indicate the right road or have the first rains indicate the start of summer. You can put forward a suggestion, see a cloud that suggests a mushroom, endure a silence that suggests disapproval or feel that such a crime suggests apt punishment. Independently, not independantlyInformation technology sectors, not information-technology sectorsIndependencies and independences• The former is the plural from of independency, an independent territory or state, while the latter is the plural form of

independence.Input, one word.Inquiry Inquiry is correct when used to indicate an investigation, for example, a Court of Inquiry. Enquiry would be used in the sense that is it a request for information.Internet Internet is always captatilised.

JJunior minerWhat is a junior miner anyway?Juniorminers.com set out to find what the definition of a Junior Miner was. So we contacted the nice folks at the PDAC (Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada) and asked them for their definition of a junior mining company. Their response was this:Mining companies are defined largely by the way in which they derive their revenues. A senior producer or operator generates its revenues from the production and sale of the commodity it is mining. A junior mining company has no mining operations and is essentially a venture capital company. It must rely almost entirely on the capital markets to finance its exploration activities [I say “almost entirely” because some juniors derive their financing from private sources]. There is another category: midtier producers. These are generally junior companies that have decided to go into production on properties that they have discovered.We then asked the folks at the TSX and their response was:Everyone has their interpretation of the definition of a junior mining company. We see most of them as being listed on TSX Venture Exchange instead of on the TSX.Judgement, judgmentUse judgment not judgement.

KKeeps up. Rather use maintains ie ‘He maintains morale.’Kick-off, not kickoff – as in 100 days to kick-off.

llandfill, not land fill.landmark, not land mark.

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largest, rather use biggest.lend, loan, borrowlend is the verb while loan is the noun:• The company lent the entrepreneur R50 000 and he was grateful for the loan. The entrepreneur borrowed R50 000

from the company.learn, learned, learntLearn – acquire knowledge or skillLearned is the past tense and past participle of learn (also learnt, which is a variant of learned).Learned – having great knowledge or characterised by scholarship (not learnt).The difference between learned and learnt is the tenses:• I learned something yesterday. (Past tense)• I have learnt my lesson. (Past participle)• There is a lesson to be learned/learnt in the smallest and simplest things in life each day. (Both forms are correct.)learning difficulties, use instead of mental handicap or retarded to avoid giving offence, as in people with learning difficulties, her son has learning difficulties (also learning disabilities).less, fewer• Less refers to degree or quantity; fewer to number.licence, licenseThe letter ‘c’ refers to a noun, while the letter ‘s’ refers to a verb. Hence, licence is a noun and license is a verb: • The company manufactured the produce under licence to its overseas principal. (noun). If you use ‘card’, ‘contract’ or

‘papers’ instead of licence and the sentence still makes sense, then ‘licence’ is correct.• The company had the product licensed. (verb) In this case, if you can use the verb ‘to allow’, which is a verb, in its

various forms (allowing, allowed, allows) instead of ‘license’, then license, is correct. If you use ‘allowance’ and the sentence makes sense, then you should be using ‘licence’.

• Hana Botswana holds 11 prospecting licences.licences are revoked, not taken away.life-of-mine is hyphenated unless used as ‘the life of the mine’.life span, not lifespan.lifestyle, not life style.life cycle, two words, but life-cycle costing.lightweight, not light weight.line-up is hyphenated, as in “part of the line-up for the day”.load-shedding is hyphenated when used as an adjective, noun or verb.location – If, for example, you are referring to a company that is based in France, it is France-based – the geographical location. To use French-based means that it may have originated in that country, for example, French is widely spoken in Africa. Write:• Australia-based.• England-based.However, we would refer to South African-produced motor vehicles.london Metal Exchange is written as lMElooking at, rather use considering.

MManhours. Rather use work hours, for example‘ . . . including engineering work hours . . .’Manmade, rather use artificial or synthetic, if appropriate.Majority, on its own, is singular. (However, if you write about a majority of some specified group, such as a majority of employees, you should use the plural form, are.)Many, muchMany refers to number, much to quantities:• There must have been as many as a hundred at the conference.• The company was willing to spend as much as R2-billion on the project.Measurements• The use of centimetres is, for some peculiar reason, restricted to textiles and garments. In all other instances, please

use millimetres.• All imperial measurements must be converted to the metric equivalent. Thus, use hectares instead of acres,

kilometres instead of miles, metres instead of yards, litres instead of gallons, kilograms instead of pounds and note: tons instead of tonnes. The exception is nautical miles, which remain the same.

Metaphors Although a skilfully used metaphor can evoke a visual image, adding this new dimension to a story can be tricky. To use this figure of speech without loss of vividness steer clear of dipping into the well of worn-out metaphors, which will only tire the reader or force him or her to move on to another story. Use all metaphors sparingly. Strive for accuracy, not ambiguity.Marketplace, not market place.Mount Moreland, not Mt Morland.

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NNone is or are? Not one is = none. So, none is. When used with a plural noun, however, opinions begin to differ, for example, ‘none of my colleagues is’ does not read as well as ‘none of my colleagues are’. In this case the most natural usage would be acceptable.Now – avoid using unless its omission changes the meaning of a sentence.Nuclear-1, not Nuclear one.Number of – several is preferred.

OObligate is an ugly and unnecessary word. Use ‘oblige’.Off the shore of Côte d’Ivoire, not offshore of Côte d’Ivoire, but ‘maintenance of the oil rigs (two words) offshore of Angola’.Offtake, one word – offtake agreement.OK, not okay, but rather use acceptable.On line, but online when referring to the Web or an online account.On site, is two wordsOn to, is two words.Ongoing, is one wordOpenpit, not open pit.Opencast, not open cast.Orebody, not ore body.Orepass, not ore pass.Output, one word.Overperformed, overcommitted, overstressed and oversold (one word, not two words).’Owing to’ is always used as a conjunction, or joining word. For example: ‘Owing to his lack of qualifications, he could not be employed’ – which can also be written as: ‘He could not be employed, owing to his lack of qualifications.’ If you can change a sentence around like this, then you should definitely use ‘owing’.‘Due to’ examples:• The furnace was due to be shut down in April.• The employee wants payment of money due to him.• The plane is due to arrive at noon.

PPaper – use Green Paper or White Paper, not green paper or white paperPast, lastThese words are often confused. For the sake of clarity, use past when referring to a historic event and last when you mean lately:• The company manufactured carbon steel in the past.• He has been away the last three days.• ‘Last’ can mean the final (as in ‘He ate the last remaining sweet’) or, in this context, the most recent, as in ‘Last week

we went to the beach’ or ‘Last time I saw him, we went to the cinema.’• ‘Past’ is more vague and can be used to refer to a nonspecific period millions of years ago or a couple of years back,

although it tends largely not to be used for more recent events, ie. “In the past, dinosaurs roamed the earth’ or ‘In the past, we used to go to the fair together.’

Per should be avoided, use ‘each’, for example ‘each year’. Per annum should also be replaced by ‘a year’. There are, however, acceptable uses of ‘per’: • Per capita.• 100 carats per hundred tons (cpht).• When used in a quote.Phase 2, not phase 2.Pilanesberg, not Pilansberg.Platinum-group metals (PGMs), not platinum group metals, but a platinum-group metal (PGM).Platework, not plate work.Policymaking, one word as in ‘the policymaking process’.Polokwane, not Pietersburg.Ponder, rather use considerPort is lowercased, for example, the Beira port but Port of Beira. Post – usually attached without the hyphen when referring to the past, except when the next word begins with t or a capital letter. Postelection, not post-election.Postwar, not post-war ie ‘postwar Japan’.Practice, practiseThe letter ‘c’ is used in the noun while the letter ‘s’ is used in the verb. Hence practice is a noun and practise is a verb:

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• He opened his own practice on the Rand. (noun)• He practised his putting daily. (verb)Presently. There are still those among us using the word ‘presently’ to mean ‘now’. It does not: it means ‘before long’, ‘soon’ or ‘shortly’. ‘Currently’ is preferred.Principal, principlePrincipal is the main, head or chief or an organisation while principle refers to values or features. Principal may be a noun or adjective, principle is always a noun:• The principal shareholder has a major say in the day-to-day workings of the company. • The principle behind the workings of the lathe is simple.Pumpstation, one word.

QQualificationsWrite:• PhD, not PHD.• BSc (Hon), not B. Sc. (Hons).• Quantity – distinguish between amount, number and quantity (and fewer and less). Use:• A small quantity of ore or goods.• Pilbara blend comprises the different qualities of iron-ore blended in specific quantities.Quick. There is some debate surrounding the degree of comparison (adjective or adverb [the positive], comparative and superlative) for quick, quicker (or the preferred more quickly) and quickest. Quicker is used in informal English and has passed into common usage. However, in writing, the better use of the comparative is more quickly. Another example is more succinct as opposed to succincter. The former is easier to say than the latter, so it is doubtful that this will become used in common speech. Similarly with more beautiful and most beautiful, more sincere and most sincere.

RRaiseboring is one word, while raise-drilled is hyphenated.Rail track is two words.Rare-earth oxide and rare-earth element, but rare earths mine and rare earths plant.Recently – avoid using as the word is vague and, in some cases, redundant. Rather use the exact date or nothing at all:• on his visit to South Africa . . . not . . . on his recent visit to South Africa.• The building has been finished . . . not . . . the building was recently finished.Reef. Lowercase, for example, Merensky reef, UG2 reef, Main reef.ReorderRisk averse, not risk adverse.Roadshow, not road show.Rock drills, not rockdrills.Roll-out is hyphenated whether used as an adjective or noun, but the verb is roll out – two words. This applies to rolled-out and rolling-out.Rollover, as in rollover doors is one wordRoofs, not rooves.Runoff is one word if refering to an election runoff but to run off a copy is two words.

SSemiskilled, not semi-skilled.Sewage, sewerage and sewer. Sewage is the waste matter carried off by sewer drains and pipes. Sewerage refers to the physical facilities (for example, pipes, lift stations, and treatment and disposal facilities) through which sewage flows. • It’s a sewage treatment works, not a sewerage treatment works. • old sewerage piping was replaced.Source – as in the origin or a story. Use: a source confirmed to Engineering News . . . or Engineering News confirmed with . . . .Standalone, not stand-alone.Stock exchanges• The JSE is listed as such and should not be written as the Johannesburg Securities Exchangeuse:• Aim- and ASX-listed Sylvania Resources• The New York and London stock exchanges• The TSXStormwater runoff, not storm water run off.State with a capital ‘S’ refers to the government of a country. The lowercase ‘s’ refers to:state

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• The condition that something or somebody is in at a particular time• A nervous, upset, or excited frame of mind or manner of behaving (informal).• A formal, dignified or grand way of doing something in which all the appropriate ceremonies are observed• Any of the various forms such as solid or liquid or quantifiable conditions such as energy levels that a physical substance

can be in depending on its temperature and other circumstances• A messy or disreputable condition (informal)• To express something in spoken or written words, especially to announce something publicly in a deliberate formal way• To declare something officially so that it has the force of a law or regulation

use:• State-owned power utility, but State power utility does not take a hyphen.• non-State, not nonState.

Subconsultants, not sub-consultants.

sub-Saharan, not Sub-Saharan.

Standards authoritiesAbbreviations for standards authorities need to be written out in full at the first time of mention if used without reference to the particular standard – ISo 90001:2000.• IAF – International Accreditation Forum.• ILAC – International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation.• ISo – International organisation for Standardisation.• SANAS – South African National Accreditation System.A full list of standard’s authorities names and abbreviations is available in Annexure Six

Surnames:• In articles where people have the same surnames, use both name and surname at the second time of mention.

Sustainability includes the economic, social and environmental spheres of corporate involvement and influence – so don’t write ‘environmental and sustainability challenges’.

TTelecommunications and telecoms – Both are acceptable but be consistentTender and Award stage of projects. That part of the project life cycle during which construction contractors are invited to prepare and submit bids, a selection is made and contracts are awarded. A call for bids or call for tenders or invitation to tender (ITT) (often called tender for short) is a special procedure for generating competing offers from different bidders looking to obtain an award of business activity in works, supply or service contracts. They are usually preceded by a prequalification questionnaire (PQQ).

Testwork, not test work.

Third World countries, not third world countries.

Real-time monitoring, not real time monitoring.

Today – do not use except in cases such as . . . Engineering News can today report.

TSX-V, use in full at the first time of mention – Canadian Toronto Stock Exchange’s Venture Exchange (TSX-V)Trading as should not be abbreviated to t/a.Two, too, toTwo means twice one: too has the meaning of also; to is an indication of direction:• The two men went to the factory. He went there too.

uunderallocation, not under allocationunder way. Two words.underused, not under underutilised. one word.upon, onupon should be used when there is a superposition, actual or figurative, according to the rules of grammar:• The copy was laid upon the desk.• She heaped her adjectives one upon the other.However, the choice between upon and on usually depends on euphony. Base your choice on the sound of the words with which the preposition is used, for example, upon my word, depend upon it, but it depends on him, on hearing. The same consideration can be applied to till and until.uranic contamination, as in contaminated by uranium.used, not utilised, so underused

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VVery. To write that a company is ‘very systems based’ is forbidden. It is ‘systems based’.

Vice Versa, rather use the other way around.WWeb is capped. Web-based is hyphenated, but website is lower case.Wellbeing, one word

Wellhead, as in wellhead generators for power production – not well head or well-head.Within – in is preferred, unless used as ‘he was within his rights’.Workforce, not work forceWorld War Two, not World War II or World War 2. Use the first DRC War, not the first Congo WarWhilst Use while, not whilst.

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AnnexuresAnnexure Onehyphenation examplesThe hyphen should be used only when its presence assists in the understanding of a word or phrase. If you’re not sure whether to use one or not, consult the dictionary!Use of the hyphen indicates that two or more words should be read as one word. This compound then acquires a meaning of its own, entirely different from that of the individual words, for example:• High-tech• Know-how• Devil-may-care• Out-of-date• State-of-the-artHyphens are used when forming composite adjectives. If they are omitted, confusion could arise:• A ‘little-known area’ does not mean the same as ’a little known area’.Some words beginning with prefixes need to be hyphenated, for example:• If the prefix is with a capital, as in neo-Darwinism.• If the prefix is used with a vowel, as in pre-empt, semi-illiterate, re-enter or anti-aircraft. • Do not hyphenate override, withhold and underrate.

Hyphens are not used in:• Non, as in nongovernmental

Nouns formed from prepositional verbs are hyphenated, for example roll-out and build-up.

Some titles also take hyphens, for example, vice-president, director-general and attorney-general, but not deputy director and district attorney.

All numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine (except for the single words) need to be hyphenated, as do other compounds formed from numbers, if there is any possibility of ambiguity, for example three-tiered; four-lane; three-legged. Note that it is not necessary to hyphenate numbers above one hundred, for example, four hundred and ninety-six. Fractions are also hyphenated, for example, two-thirds, four-fifths.

The quarters of the compass when used as a compound are hyphenated, for example, north-west and south-east.A compound modifier (also called a compound adjective or a phrasal adjective) is an adjectival or adverbial phrase of two or more words. According to modern writing guides, compound modifiers before a noun generally require a hyphen between each word (see exceptions below). Hyphens help prevent confusion; otherwise, a reader might interpret the words separately, rather than as a phrase. one or more hyphens join the words into a single idea.• Hard-won victory• Better-educated learners• “Science-fiction writers write science fiction”• Military-history experts• A man-eating shark (not “a man eating shark”, the exact opposite meaning)• The one-way street is very narrow.• A wild-goose chase (not “wild goose chase”, a goose chase that was wild)

exceptions• Do not use a hyphen following adverbs that end in -ly, but use one following adverbs that do not end in -ly: “a

well-known actress”.• Most phrases that need hyphens as compound modifiers should not be hyphenated if they come after the noun they

describe: “a contract for a long term.”Creamer Media style may differ from other house styles and this is often most evident in hyphenation. Generally, hyphenation rules and exceptions are subject to a writer’s judgment and may be applied differently, but the overarching aim is to avoid confusion.The Times Online Style Guide suggests using the hyphen “when the phrase would otherwise be ambiguous”.The Chicago Manual of Style now takes the position that “the hyphen may be omitted in all cases [of adjectival compounds] where there is little or no risk of ambiguity or hesitation”.

Examples of noncompound modifiers• A new looking glass (not to confuse with a new-looking glass, looking glass being a rather old-fashioned term for a mirror)• oxygen free radicals (in chemistry, free radicals that contain oxygen, not to confuse with oxygen-free radicals, radicals which are free of oxygen, or oxygen-consuming radicals, nonconformist chemists given to expounding their views at length.)

Hyphenation examples:• black economic-empowerment group and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003

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• broad-based black economic-empowerment initiative• black-empowered company• challenge imports head-on• coal-fired power station• community-owned and -operated factory• Consul-General• Cost-effective solution• Deep-water discovery, not deepwater discovery• Demagnitising, not de-magnitising• demand-side management• director-general (Botswana Democratic Party secretary-general Daniel Kwelagobe)• Eco-trails, use hyphen• Electricity intensive mines• Environmental-impact assessment• environmental-impact assessment report• environmental- and social-impact assessment study• Exchange-traded funds (lowercased), not Exchange Traded Funds• End-users, not end users, for example:• an evolutionary path that will increasingly provide end-users the functionality they need• ex-Soviet Union• fibre-optic cables but fibre optics (no hyphen)• First-quarter new-vehicle sales• fit-for-purpose• Gold-miner Mintails • Gold-, platinum-, coal-, diamond- and copper-mining sectors• Greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions• hand-held drilling• gold-mining and exploration company Newcrest• heavy-metal-free materials, not heavy metal free materials• high-cost, uneconomic mines• life-of-mine• Low-cost affordability• ill-considered proposal• in-house design, not inhouse design• iron-ore, not iron ore, both noun and adjectivaluse:• an iron-ore-mining licence South Africa’s biggest iron-ore-miner• Long-term growth• Lost-time-injury frequency rate• Lower-grade ore• low- and medium-carbon commercial grades• low-, medium- and high-alloy steels• Materials-handling systems• mid-1920s• nine-million-ton-a-year mine, but a nine-million ton a year greenfield openpit mine• one-liner• on-reef and off-reef• open-cycle gas-turbine project• Pebble-bed nuclear reactor, but the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Company• per-kilowatt-hour payment• platinum-mining, for example, ‘. . . successfully used in platinum-mining.’• polished-diamond sales• project-managed, not project managed ie ‘ . . . plants DRA designed and project-managed’. • Precious-metals-miner (JSE-listed precious-metals-miner Village Main Reef)• Plural-sounding company names• Public- and private-sector entities• ramp-up of production• renewable-energy technology• rigid-pillar system• Run-of-mine production• state-of-the-art computer• sub-Saharan Africa

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• Twentieth-century technology• value-added tax or value-added service• Vice-Admiral• Well-thought-out structure• Year-on-year in June

Hyphenation in Numbers: • Fractions should be hyphenated when spelled out in full, for example, two-thirds, even when the number is higher

than ten. The same applies to figures used as adjectives: He gave a tenth (not 10th) of his salary to the poor.• It is acceptable to have 22 000 but million and billion must be written out in full and with a hyphen, for example,

R22-million. Also note: 2 000 t/y but 20-million tons a year.• Do not use a hyphen in place of ‘to’ when using two figures: the project will take 12 to 18 months (not 12-18 months)

to complete.• When million is used, for example one-million tons, the number has to be written out in full if the number is below 11.

Do not use 1-million tons. However, 3.2-million tons and 1 t is acceptable, as is 4 c/t.use:• The 555 km 24 inch trunk-line from Durban• 20-million-ton-a-year processing plant• 150-m-wide × 500-m-long north-west-trending corridor• 180 mm × 80 mm × 40 mm unit• 26%-owned by . . .• ISo 9002-, 14001- and 18001-listed plant• multimillion-rand turnkey project• twenty-fifth year of service; not 25th • Ten-million-tons-a-year iron export project, but a ten-million-ton a year iron export project. The plural or singular ‘tons’

or ‘ton’ is governed by the use, or not, of either ‘a’ or ‘an’ before the figure.• 100-t-capacity wagon, not 100-t capacity wagon• 300-t/h Laixin plant• 2.7-m-diameter Koepe winder, not 2.7-m diameter Koepe winder• 12-million-ton-a-year dense medium separation (DMS) plant• three 54-hole golf courses• 25-m-high crusher tips• 144-m-long tunnel section• fiftieth not 50th anniversary, however, if the number is too long, for example thirty-thousandth, rather use 30 000th.• two-and-a-half years• 24/7 services, not twenty-four-seven services• 24 hours a day (no hyphens), but 24-hour-a-day facility

hyphenation exceptions• 20- to 30-million tons per annum (a quote)• care and maintenance, unless used adjectivally• co-chairperson• coordinate• cooperate• email• Energy efficient system, do not hyphenate the adjectival use of ‘energy efficient’.• Mideighties not mid-eighties• Midsized, not mid-sized• Midtier, not mid-tier• online not on-line • Preadjusted not pre-adjusted• Preassembly, not pre-assembly• Preapproval capital expenditure• Reoptimised, not re-optimised• Short to medium term, unless used adjectivally

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Annexure Two

Abbreviations of units of measurementUnits of measure are written in lower case (for example, kg, km, m), unless they are derived from the name of a person (for example, W, kJ, kW, Hz). When used with figures, these abbreviations should follow with a space (for example, 11 kg, 15 km, 35 mm) and when used adjectivally, a hyphen is necessary: a 15-km journey. However, two abbreviations together must be separated with a space.When beginning a sentence, figures and units of measurement should be written out in full (for example, eight kilograms, seventy-seven hectares).

Abbreviation unit of MeasurementA Ampereac alternating current (in full unless with numbers)Ah Ampere hourB Bytebar (unit) The bar (symbol bar), decibar (symbol dbar), centibar (symbol cbar), and millibar (symbol mbar or

mb) are units of pressure. The bar is widely used in descriptions of pressure because it is only about 1% smaller than atmospheric pressure, and is legally recognised in countries of the European Union. Except for the power of ten, the definition of bar fits in the sequence of SI pressure units (Pa, kPa, MPa), namely, 1 bar = 100 000 Pa = 100 kPa = 0.1 MPa. This is in contrast to the well-known unit of pressure, atmosphere, which now is defined to be 1.01325 bar exactly. As a rule of thumb, a bar is almost equal to an atmosphere.

BCM bank cubic meter (BCM) a traditional unit of volume in coal mining. A bank cubic meter represents the contents of a cubic meter of rock in place, before it is drilled and blasted.

bcf billion cubic feetbl barrelbbl barrelsBq Symbol for the becquerel, an SI unit of radioactivityCad Computer-aided designCam Computer-aided manufacturecc3 cubic centimetrecm Centimetre. Use for clothing and textiles, otherwise use millimetres (mm).cmg/t raw gold (cm) grams a tonct Carat/scpht carats per hundred tonCo2-e Carbon dioxide equivalentcSt Kinematic viscosity is sometimes expressed in terms of centistokes (cSt or ctsk), named after George

Gabriel Stokes.˚C degrees Centigradedc direct current (in full unless with numbers)dB decibeldm decimetreDWT deadweight tonfl oz fluid ouncesg gramGb Gigabits (network or internal circuits)Gb/s Gigabits a secondGB Gigabyte (high transmission)GHz gigahertzGJ gigajouleGt gigatonsgr graingro grossGWd/t Gigawatt days a tonGWh/y Gigawatt hours a yearha hectarehl hectolitreHz Hertzhp horsepower

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Abbreviation unit of MeasurementJ jouleK KelvinKB kilobytekgf/mm2 Kilogram force a square millimetrekg kilogramkHz kilohertzkl kilolitrekm kilometrekN kilonewtonkNm kilonewton metreskV kilovoltkVA kilovolt-amperekW kilowattkWh kilowatt-hourℓ Litre (“ℓ” symbol in mathematical font)m metremA milliampereMb/s Megabit a secondMB Megabyte, which is the amount of data transferred, as opposed to Megabits, which is the speed of

transfermcm million cubic metres, a unit of volume, but write out 36-million cubic metres of water a dayMN meganewtonµg microgramµm microns, micrometremg milligramMHz megahertzMJ Megajouleml millilitreMℓ megalitremm millimetrems millisecondsmt metric tonMtep million ton equivalent of petroleumMPa MPa is a metric (SI) unit for pressure, or force per unit area. Pa is the Pascal, which is one Newton

of force applied to one square meter of area (1 N/m2). MPa is a mega-Pascal, or one million Pascals. Since atmospheric pressure is 101 000 pA, or 101 kPa (approximately 14.7 psi), this is approximately 9 atmospheres (around 150 psi).

MVA megavolt-ampereMW megawattMWdc megawatt direct currentMWe Megawatt electricalMWt Megawatt thermalNano billionthnm nautical milesNm Newton meter (Unit of Torque) 1 Nm = 0.737 lb-ftns nanosecondΩ ohm, the derived SI unit of electrical resistance; the resistance between two points on a conductor when

a constant potential difference of 1 V between them produces a current of 1 A.oz ounce. Troy ounces – The troy ounce is the only measure of the troy weighting system that is still used in

modern times. It is used in the pricing of metals such as gold, platinum and silver. When the price of gold is said to be US$653/oz, the ounce being referred to is a troy ounce, not a standard ounce.

oz3 cubic ouncespH A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solutionpicovolt a unit of potential equal to one trillionth of a voltppm parts per million

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Abbreviation unit of Measurementppb parts per billionpsi pounds per square inchrpm revolutions a minuteSI The international system of units of measurement. SI is used to reduce the number of zeros

shown in numerical quantities. For example, one-billionth of an ampere (a small electrical current) can be written as 0.000000001ampere. In symbol form, this is written as 0.000000001A. Using an SI prefix, this is equivalent to 1 nanoampere or 1 nA.

t tonTB terabytetcf trillion cubic feetTcm trillion cubic metresTCu Total copperTDS Total dissolved solidsTJ TerajouleTWh Terrawatt hourV VoltVAC Volts of alternating currentW WattWp Watt-peak, a measure of power output, most often used in relation to photovoltaic solar energy

devices. Related units such as kilowatt-peak or kilowatts-peak (kWp) and megawatts-peak are also used, and in the context of domestic installations kWp is the most common unit encountered.

w/v an abbreviation for “weight by volume,” a slightly confusing phrase used in chemistry and pharmacology to describe the concentration of a substance in a mixture or solution. The weight by volume is the mass (in grams) of the substance dissolved in or mixed with 100 millilitres of solution or mixture. For example, the concentration of fluoride in toothpaste is usually about 0.15% w/v, meaning that there are 0.15 gram of fluoride for each 100 millilitres of toothpaste. Thus 1% w/v is equal to 1 gram a decilitre (g/dℓ) or 10 grams a litre (g/ℓ).

w/w an abbreviation for “by weight,” used in chemistry and pharmacology to describe the concentration of a substance in a mixture or solution. Properly speaking, 2% w/w means that the mass of the substance is 2% of the total mass of the solution or mixture. The metric symbol g/g has the same meaning as w/w.

Abbreviation Scientific Element 4E PGM (platinum, palladium, gold and rhodium) platinum group metals3 PGE+Au Three platinum group elements and gold6 PGE+Au Six platinum group elements and goldÅ angstromCo carbon monoxideCo2 carbon dioxideCH4 methaneCFCs chlorofluorocarbonsDUF6 Depleted uranium hexafluorideNox oxides of nitrogenNm Newton metre (Nm or N·m), a unit of torqueNm3 The similar symbol Nm3 stands for ‘normal cubic metres’, a unit of volume (Normal in this context

means at standard temperature and pressure), although it also stands for “newton cubic metres” in SI notation.

P-239 plutonium-239U3o8 uranium oxideU-238 uranium-238

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Annexure ThreeCommonly used scientific elements and their abbreviationsScientific elements must be spelled out in full on first appearance and referred to thereafter by their periodic symbol for example, carbon dioxide (Co2).

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The Periodic Table listElements Sorted by Element Name

Name SymbolActinium AcAluminium AlAmericium AmAntimony SbArgon ArArsenic AsAstatine AtBarium BaBerkelium BkBeryllium BeBismuth BiBohrium BhBoron BBromine BrCadmium CdCalcium CaCalifornium CfCarbon CCerium CeCesium CsChlorine ClChromium CrCobalt CoCopper CuCurium CmDubnium DbDysprosium DyEinsteinium EsErbium ErEuropium EuFermium FmFluorine FFrancium FrGadolinium GdGallium GaGermanium Ge

Name SymbolGold AuHafnium HfHassium HsHelium HeHolmium HoHydrogen HIndium InIodine IIridium IrIron FeKrypton KrLanthanum LaLawrencium LrLead PbLithium LiLutetium LuMagnesium MgManganese MnMeitnerium MtMendelevium MdMercury HgMolybdenum MoNeodymium NdNeon NeNeptunium NpNickel NiNiobium NbNitrogen NNobelium Noosmium osoxygen oPalladium PdPhosphorus PPlatinum PtPlutonium PuPolonium Po

Name SymbolPotassium KPraseodymium PrPromethium PmProtactinium PaRadium RaRadon RnRhenium ReRhodium RhRubidium RbRuthenium RuRutherfordium RfSamarium SmScandium ScSeaborgium SgSelenium SeSilicon SiSilver AgSodium NaStrontium SrSulphur STantalum TaTechnetium TcTellurium TeTerbium TbThallium TlThorium ThThulium TmTin SnTitanium TiTungsten WUranium UVanadium VXenon XeYtterbium YbZinc ZnZirconium Zr

A African National Congress ANC*African National Congress Youth League ANCYL African Rainbow Minerals Armanalogue to digital converter ADCalternating current acAsymmetrical digital subscriber line ADSLAktiengesellschaft (German or Swiss public limited company). AGIn common with Pty and Ltd, this abbreviation is not used when mentioning companynames in text for Creamer Media purposes, for example, do not use Glass Company Ltd,Glass Company will suffice.alternative investment market AimAccelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa Asgisaautomatic teller machine ATM B black economic empowerment BEEbroad-based black economic empowerment BBBEE C carats per hundred tons cphtcentral processing unit CPUCoal of Africa Limited (include ‘Limited’ as it is used in the acronym) CoALcomputer-aided design Cadcomputer-aided manufacture Camcomputer numeric control or computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining CNCCongress of the People CopeCongress of South African Trade Unions Cosatu D dense medium separation DMSDirector-general DGdigital versatile disc DVDDeutsches Institut für Normung DIN E earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation Ebitda Engineering Council of South Africa ECSA**engineering, procurement and construction EPCengineering, procurement and construction management EPCMenvironmental-impact assessment EIAEuropean Commission ECEuropean Union EUEnhanced video connector EVC

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Annexure FourCommonly used abbreviationsThese should be written out in full at the first time of mention, followed immediately by the abbreviation in brackets.

Abbreviations that form words that can change or confuse the meaning of sentences, for example, tons of oil equivalent (toe), should be written in upper case (TOE).* indicates that it is not necessary to use in full at the first time of mention.** indicates that capitals must be used.*** indicates use in full unless with numbers

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F front-end engineering and design Feed G General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GattGeneral Export Incentive Scheme Geisgeographical information system GISglobal systems mobile GSMgross domestic product GDPGroup of Eight G8Group of Twenty G20growth, employment and redistribution GearGesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (German or Swiss limited private company) GMBH I Independent Power Southern Africa Ipsaintelligent network INinput-output I/o J Joint ore Reserves Committee Jorc l large-coal dense-medium separator larcodem separatorlost-time injury frequency rate per million hours worked LTIFRlight-emitting diode LEDLondon Metal Exchange LME

M Member of Parliament MPMember of the Executive Council MECMovement for Democratic Change MDCMultiyear price determination MYPD N Nondistributive reserves NDR O original equipment manufacturer oEM P platinum-group metals PGMspreliminary economic assessment PEAprinted circuit board PCBprogrammable logic controller PLCproportional integral derivative Pid R random access memory RamRare earth element REEread only memory Romrenewable-energy feed-in tariff Refitrequest for proposal RFPresearch and development R&D

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S short message service SMS*Stock Exchange News Service SensSouth African Code for the Reporting of Meneral Resources and Mineral Reserves SamrecSouth African Development Community SADCSouth African National Roads Agency Limited (include ‘Limited” as it is used in the acronym Sanralsmall, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) SMMEssubscriber identity module Sim*supervisory control and data acquisition Scada T Three-dimensional system 3D system u United Kingdom UK, use ‘in the UK’uninterruptible power supply UPSUnited Nations UNupper-group two UG2 V very important person VIP W World Wide Web WWW Z Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front Zanu-PF*

Name Abbreviationacrylonitrile butadienestyrene ABS

ethylene propylene dymonomer EPDM

ethylene propylene monomer EPT

fluorinated ethylene propylene FEP

high-density polythene HDPE

low-density polythene LDPE

polyamide

Polycrystalline-silicon polysilicon

polyethylene terephthalate PET

polymethyl methacrylate

polypropylene

polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE (Teflon)

polyvinyl chloride PVC

Commonly used plastics

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Annexure FiveGlossary of standards authoritiesWhile ISo is in common usage and does not have to be written out in full unless used without numbers, the rest are not well known to our readers and would have to be written out in full.

APLAC Asian Pacific Laboratory Accreditation CooperationARSo Africa Regional Standards organisationBeltest Belgisch Accreditatiesysteem; Testen en KeuringBIPM Bureau International de Poids et Mesures, ParisBKo/oBE Belgische Kalibratie organisatieBMwA AustriaCNACL China National Accreditation Committee for LaboratoriesCNLA Chinese National Laboratory AccreditationCoFRAC Comité Français; AccréditationDANAK Dansk AkkrediteringDAR Deutscher AkkreditierungsratDKD Deutsch KalibrierdienstDTI Department of Trade and IndustryEA European Cooperation for AccreditationEMAS European Eco-Management and Audit SchemeENC Entidad Nacional de AcreditatiónEU European UnionFINAS Finnish Accreditation ServiceFRIDGE Fund for Research into Industrial Development Economic Growth and EquityHoKLAS Hong Kong Accreditation ServiceIAAC Inter American Accreditation CooperationIAF International Accreditation ForumIANZ International Accreditation New ZealandIATCA International Audit and Training Certification AssociationIEC International Electrotechnical CommissionILAB Irish National Accreditation BoardILAC International Laboratory Accreditation CooperationIPQ Instituto Português da QualidadeISo International organisation for StandardisationJAB Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity AssessmentJNLA Japan National Laboratory Accreditation SystemKoLAS Korean Laboratory Accreditation ServiceMLA Multilateral Agreement/ArrangementMoU Memorandum of UnderstandingMRA Mutual Recognition AgreementNA Norwegian AccreditationNATA National Association of Testing Authorities, AustraliaNEDLAC National Economic Development and Labour Advisory CouncilNEPAD The New Partnership for Africa’s DevelopmentNCS National Calibration Service, South AfricaNLA National Laboratory Accreditation Service, South AfricaNMISA National Metrology Institute of South AfricaoECD organisation for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentRAAF Representative Accreditation Advisory ForumRvA Raad voor AccreditatieSAATCA South African Auditor and Training Certification AssociationSABS South African Bureau of StandardsSADC Southern African Development CommunitySADCA Southern African Development Committee for AccreditationSANAS South African National Accreditation SystemSAQI South African Quality Institute

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SANS South African National StandardsSAS Swiss Accreditation ServiceSINCERT Accreditamento organisi Certificazione ItalySIT Servizio Italiano di TaraturaSWEDAC Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity AssessmentUNIDo United Nations Industrial Development organisationUKAS United Kingdom Accreditation Service

source: SANAS

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Annexure SixGlossary of Mining Terms

Acid treatmentAcid treatment is the process of soaking activated carbon granules in a dilute hydrochloric acid solution to dissolve calcium carbonate and other impurities that have become absorbed in the carbon, and that, thereby, reduce the ability to adsorb gold.

AditAn adit is a type of entrance to an underground mine and is horizontal or nearly horizontal. Adits are usually built into the side of a hill or mountain, and often occur when a measure of coal or an orebody is located inside the mountain but above the adjacent valley floor or coastal plain. In cases where the mineral vein outcrops at the surface, the adit may follow the vein until it is worked out. The use of adits is generally called drift mining.

Adjusted gross marginAdjusted gross profit (loss) divided by gold sales including realised nonhedge derivatives.

Adjusted gross profit (loss)Gross profit (loss) excluding unrealised nonhedge derivatives and other commodity contracts.

Adjusted headline earningsHeadline earnings excluding unrealised nonhedge derivatives, fair value adjustments on the option component of the convertible bond, fair value gain (loss) on interest rate swap, adjustments to other commodity contracts and deferred tax thereon.

AssayA chemical test performed on a rock sample to determine the amount – or grade – of valuable metal contained.

Artisanal and small-scale miningLow tech, labour intensive mineral processing and excavation activity, which is an economic mainstay in rural sub-Saharan Africa, providing direct employment to over two million people.

Small-scale mining falls into two broad categories: the mining and quarrying of industrial minerals and construction materials on a small scale; and the mining of relatively high-value minerals, notably gold and precious stones.

The first is mostly for local markets and exists in every country. Regulations to control and tax these mines and quarries are often in place, and the existence of informal or illegal operations at this level is generally attributable to a lack of inspection and the lax enforcement of regulations rather than to the lack of a legal framework, much the same as for small manufacturing plants.

The output from the second category of small-scale mines is generally exported. The size and character of small-scale mining of this type has often made what laws there are impossible to apply or has highlighted their inadequacy. The vast majority of the diggers are very poor, exploiting marginal deposits in harsh and sometimes dangerous conditions – and having considerable negative impact on the environment. Artisanal diamond miningTo a large extent, artisanal diamond mining is a livelihood strategy adopted primarily by rural and small village populations for whom it appears to be the most promising income opportunity.Almost all artisanal miners are unregistered, unregulated and unprotected. Most work for nothing except what they are lucky enough to find. Their work is dirty, hard, sometimes dangerous, and it produces little more than a couple of hundred dollars a year for most diggers. In fact, the competitive scramble in a largely informal economy only serves to drive prices down at the pit level, creating a lucrative business for middlemen.Children are widely involved; residents of the mining areas complain of environmental degradation, water pollution, and the influx of a migrant labour force with high rates of prostitution and HIV/Aids. Family and societal violence follow. And most alluvial diamond diggers lead hard, insecure, dangerous and unhealthy lives. With average earnings of less than a dollar a day they fall squarely into the broad category of “absolute poverty”.

Among initiatives aimed at tackling the issues surround artisanal diamond mining is the Diamond Development Initiative, which aims to gather all interested parties into a process that will address, in a comprehensive way, the political, social and economic challenges facing the artisanal diamond mining sector in order to optimise the beneficial development impact of artisanal diamond mining to miners and their communities within the countries in which the diamonds are mined.

BackfillWaste material used to fill the void created by mining an orebody to provide both regional and localised supportBelow collarA distance below the surface elevation of a shaft.

BIFBanded ironstone formation – a chemically formed iron-rich sedimentary rock.

Blast furnaceA shaft furnace in which solid fuel (coke) is burned with an air blast to smelt ore in a continuous operation.

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Block cavingAn inexpensive method of mining in which large blocks of ore are undercut, causing the ore to break or cave under its own weightBord-and-pillar mining (see room-and-pillar)Breast stopingA method of stoping employed on veins where the dip is not sufficient for the broken ore to be removed by gravity. The ore remains close to the working face and must be loaded into cars at that point.

BrownfieldThe term brownfield is used in mining, construction and development to reference land that at some point was occupied by a permanent structure. In a brownfield project the structure would need to be demolished or renovated or rebuilt from an existing one.Bulk sampleA large sample of mineralised rock, frequently hundreds of tons, selected in such a manner as to be representative of the potential orebody being sampled. Used to determine metallurgical characteristics on an industrial scale.By-productA secondary metal or mineral product recovered in the milling process or any products that emanate from the core process of producing gold, including silver, uranium and sulphuric acid.Calc-silicate rockA metamorphic rock consisting mainly of calcium-bearing silicates such as diopside and wollastonite, and formed by metamorphism of impure limestone or dolomite.Capital employedEquity plus minority interests, interest-bearing debt, less loans and cash. Where average capital employed is referred to, this is the average of the figures at the beginning and the end of the financial year.Capital expenditureTotal capital expenditure on tangible assets, which includes stay-in-business and project capital.

Captive mineA mine that produces coal or mineral for use by the same company

Carbon columnsAny vertical cylindrical vessels used to contain granules of activated carbon for processes such as the extraction of gold from solution, elution or acid treatment.

Carbon-in-leach (CIl)Gold is leached from a slurry of gold ore with cyanide in agitated tanks and adsorbed on carbon granules in the same circuit. The carbon granules are separated from the slurry and treated in an elution circuit to remove the gold.Carbon-in-pulp (CIP)Gold is leached conventionally from a slurry of gold ore with cyanide in agitated tanks. The leached slurry then passes into the CIP circuit where carbon granules are mixed with the slurry and gold is adsorbed on the carbon. The granules are separated from the slurry and treated in an elution circuit to remove the gold.Cash costsCash costs include site costs for all mining (excluding deferred development costs), processing and administration, but are exclusive of royalties, production taxes, amortisation and rehabilitation, as well as corporate administration, capital and exploration costs.

Cash gross marginCash gross profit (loss) divided by, for example, gold sales, including realised nonhedge derivatives.Cash gross profit (loss)Adjusted gross profit (loss) plus amortisation of tangible and intangible assets less noncash revenues.Channel widthThe total thickness of all reef bands, including internal waste mined as one unit.CokeCoke is a solid carbon fuel and carbon source used to melt and reduce iron-oreCokemakingThe processes used to make coke. The process begins with pulverised, bituminous coal. The coal is fed into a coke oven, which is sealed and heated to very high temperatures for 14 to 36 hours. After completion, the coke is moved to quenching towers and stored until it is needed.

Comminution is a group of mineral processing techniques used in extractive metallurgy to reduce rock sizes through crushing or grinding. Comminution processes are used to pulverise rocks for further processing.

The machinery used for comminution is usually divided into classes based on the size of the fragments produced, crushers producing coarse material and grinders producing finer particles.

It would therefore be correct to refer to a company producing this machinery as a comminutions company.(See also ‘Milling’)

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Competent personA Competent Person’s Report (CPR) is a Techno-Economic Report. It represents the opinions on a deposit of a registered professional, independent of the client and its subsidiaries. By reason of his/her education, professional associations and past relevant work experience, the person is deemed as qualified to form an opinion of the deposit.

A full CPR is required for listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Securities Exchange and will also be accepted for listing on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM.

The technical equivalents of the CPR are the NI43-101 Technical Report and the JoRC Qualified Person’s Report.

ConcentrateA fine, powdery product separated in the milling process that contains a high percentage of valuable metal.

ConcentratorA process where iron-ore is upgraded to a higher iron content.

Contained goldThe total gold content of the orebody (tons multiplied by grade), irrespective of economic potential and without deduction for mining and processing losses prior to recovery.

CrushingThe process of breaking up large rocks into smaller rocks, gravel or rock dust. Crushing is an essential part of mining, reducing run-of-mine ore to a size that can be easily transported or processed.

Cupola furnaceCupola furnaces are tall, cylindrical furnaces used to melt iron and ferroalloys in foundry operations. Alternating layers of metal and ferroalloys, coke and limestone are fed into the furnace from the top.

Cut-and-fillA method of stoping in which ore is removed in slices, or lifts, and then the excavation is filled with rock or other waste material (backfill), before the subsequent slice is extracted.

Cutoff gradeThe estimated lowest grade of ore that can be mined and treated profitably in a mining operation, for example, a cutoff grade of 20% iron (Fe) implies that any material containing less than 20% Fe will be uneconomical to mine. If the average mine grade drops below the cutoff grade, the mine will operate at a loss.

DebtBorrowings including short-term portion, plus debentures.

DeclineA sloping, underground opening for machine access from level to level or from surface; also called a ramp.

DepletionThe decrease in quantity of ore in a deposit or property resulting from extraction or production.

DevelopmentThe process of accessing an orebody through shafts and/or tunnelling in underground mining operations.• Development reef – all development on the reef horizon. • Development waste – all development in country rock.

DilutionMixing of ore grade material with nonore grade waste material in the mining process. Dilution reduces the overall grade of the ore.

Direct-reduced iron (DRI)Produced from the direct reduction of iron-ore (in form of lumps, pellets or fines) by a reducing gas produced from natural gas or coal. Direct-reduced iron is richer in iron than pig iron, typically between 90% and 94% total iron, as opposed to about 93% for molten pig iron, and an excellent feedstock for the electric furnaces used by mini mills, allowing them to use lower grades of scrap for the rest of the charge.

DioriteAn igneous rock formed by the solidification of molten material.

Discontinued operationA component of an entity that, pursuant to a single plan, has been disposed of or abandoned or is classified as held-for-sale until conditions precedent to the sale have been fulfilled.Dividend coverHeadline earnings before unrealised hedging activities for each ordinary share divided by dividends for each ordinary share.Drill bitDrill bits are cutting tools used to create cylindrical holes. Bits are held in a tool called a drill, which rotates them and provides torque and axial force to create the hole. Specialised bits are also available for noncylindrical-shaped holes.The other end of the drill bit is the shank. Drill bits come in standard sizes. The term drill can refer to a drilling machine, or can refer to a drill bit for use in a drilling machine. For clarity, use drill bit or bit throughout to refer to a bit for use in a drilling machine, and drill refers to refer to a drilling machine.

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Ebitdaoperating profit (loss) before amortisation of tangible and intangible assets, impairment of tangible and intangible assets, profit (loss) on disposal of assets and investments and unrealised nonhedge derivatives, plus the share of associates’ Ebitda.

Effective tax rateCurrent and deferred taxation as a percentage of net profit before taxation.

Electric arc furnaces (EAFs)Electric arc furnaces are often used in large steel foundries and steel mills. The metal is charged into the furnace, with additives to make recovery of slag easier, and heat to melt the metal is produced with an electric arc from three carbon or granite electrodes. Frequently mills producing steel with EAF technology are called minimills.ElectrowinningRecovery of metal from solution by electrolysis. A process of recovering gold from solution by means of electrolytic chemical reaction into a form that can be smelted easily into gold bars.ElutionRecovery of the gold from the activated carbon into solution before zinc precipitation or electrowinning.Energy optimising furnace (EOF)The EoF was developed to replace the electric arc and other steelmaking furnaces. The EoF is an oxygen steelmaking process. Carbon and oxygen react to preheat scrap metal, hot metal and/or pig iron.Environmental baseline studiesThe environmental monitoring work completed before a production decision is taken on a mining project, examining the existing state of the environment and the potential effects that proposed mining activities will have on the natural surroundings. The studies will include ground water (lakes, streams, rivers etc), wildlife (plants and animals), potential noise levels from construction and mining operations, potential impacts from ongoing mining operations such as dust and vibration levels etc.Environmental-impact studyA written report, compiled prior to a production decision that examines the effects proposed mining activities will have on the natural surroundings.EquityShareholders’ equity adjusted for other comprehensive income and deferred taxation. Where average equity is referred to, this is calculated by averaging the figures at the beginning and the end of the financial year.ExplorationActivities associated with ascertaining the existence, location, extent or quality of mineralised material, including economic and technical evaluation of mineralised material.Feasibility study (Bankable feasibility study)

A detailed engineering study which defines the technical, economic, social and legal viability of a mining project with a high degree of reliability, identifying and quantifying any risks and providing sufficient information to determine whether or not the project should be advanced to the final engineering and construction stage. A bankable feasibility study forms the basis on which banks and other lenders provide the capital necessary to build the mine(s).

FinesMaterial that passes through a standard screen on which coarser fragments are retained.

FlotationA milling and concentration process in which valuable mineral particles are induced to become attached to bubbles and float away from the waste particles in a solid/solution pulp. Specific chemicals are added to either float (foam off) particular minerals or to depress the flotation of other minerals. Several stages of processing are generally involved with rough bulk flotation products being subjected to additional flotation steps to increase product purity.

Free cash flowNet cash inflow from operating activities less stay-in-business capital expenditure.

GangueThe worthless minerals in an ore deposit.

GradeThe metal content of ore measured in grams a ton or per cent. For example:• The company additionally reviewed grab samples of ore currently being exploited by local artisanal miners that returned

between 4 g/t and 22 g/t gold, while veins sampled graded between 1 g/t and 3 g/t gold, with significant grades of silver also reported. one sample of lead-zinc-silver ore returned 24% zinc and 105 g/t silver.

• Kagara noted that the ore produced so far was outside the indicated and inferred resource estimate of 1.15-million tons grading 4.6% nickel

GreenfieldThe term greenfield is used in mining, construction and development to reference land that has never been used, where there is no need to demolish or rebuild any existing structures.

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GreenschistA schistose metamorphic rock whose green color is due to the presence of chlorite, epidote or actinolite.Gross margin percentageAdjusted gross profit (loss) as a percentage of, for example, gold income including realised nonhedge derivatives.Hanging wallThe rock on the upper side of a vein or ore deposit.

Head gradeA general term referring to the grade of ore delivered to the processing plant.

Heap leachingA process whereby valuable metals (usually gold and silver) are leached from a heap, or pad, of crushed ore by leaching solutions percolating down through the heap and are collected from a sloping, impermeable liner below the pad.

HedgingThe sale of a commodity at fixed future prices in order to guard against price uncertainty and guarantee revenue streams. Commonly practised in the gold market.An unhedged company is one that is not hedging its prices. A dehedging company is one that was previously hedged, but is reducing its hedging.

HematiteThe mineral form of iron oxide (Fe2o3); one of several iron oxides.

Illustrative dividend rateFor illustrative purposes, a US dollar dividend value has been provided based on the rate of exchange ruling on the date of declaration.

Induction furnacesInduction furnaces are the most widely used type of furnace for melting iron and are increasingly popular for melting nonferrous metals (USEPA, 1992). They are popular because they provide excellent metallurgical control and are relatively pollution free.

in situ depositThe original natural state of the orebody before mining or processing of the ore takes place. The reserves are still in the ground.

Interest coverEbitda divided by finance costs and unwinding of obligations.Internal wasteAny waste within the reef channel.

Intrusive eventThe intrusion of an igneous body into older rocks.

IronmakingDuring ironmaking, iron-ore, coke, heated air and limestone or other fluxes are fed into a blast furnace to produce molten iron that is free from impurities.Iron-oreRocks or deposits containing compounds from which iron can be made.

leachingDissolution of gold from crushed or milled material, including reclaimed slime, prior to absorption on activated carbon.

ledgingThe phase of mining of ore before stoping operationslevelThe workings or tunnels of an underground mine which are on the same horizontal plane.life of mine (loM)Number of years that the operation is planning to mine and treat ore, and is taken from the current mine plan.longwall miningAn underground high-productivity mechanised mining system for extracting panels or blocks of mineral, usually coal.Market capitalisationNumber of ordinary shares in issue at close of business on December 31 multiplied by the closing share price as quoted on the JSE.

Metallurgical plantProcessing plant used to treat ore and extract the contained metals.

Magnetic separationA process in which a magnetically susceptible mineral is separated from waste or undesirable minerals by applying a strong magnetic field; ores of iron are commonly treated in this way.

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MagnetiteFe3o4, iron oxide – a dense metallic grey ore mineral of iron.

Metallurgical plantA processing plant erected to treat ore and extract gold or other metal.

MetallurgyThe study and practice of removing valuable metals from an ore and refining the extracted raw metals into a purer form.Mill A processing plant which crushes and treats ore for the purpose of upgrading the mineral content into a higher-grade product called a concentrate, or to produce metal.

MillingThe comminution of the ore, although the term has come to cover the broad range of machinery inside the treatment plant where the mineral is separated from the ore. Essentially, milling reduces broken ore to a size at which concentrating can be undertaken. (See also ‘comminution’).

Mine call factorThe ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the total quantity of recovered and unrecovered mineral product after processing with the amount estimated in the ore based on sampling. The ratio of contained gold delivered to the metallurgical plant divided by the estimated contained gold of ore mined based on sampling.

MineableThat portion of a mineralised deposit for which extraction is technically and economically feasible.

MineralogyThe study of the chemistry and physical properties of ore and gangue minerals within mineral deposits.

Mineral depositA mineralised body, which has been delineated by appropriately spaced drilling and/or underground sampling to support a sufficient tonnage and average grade of metal. This material or deposit does not qualify as a reserve until a comprehensive evaluation, based on costs, grade, recoveries and other factors, demonstrates economic feasibility. Consequently, although the potential exists, there is no assurance that this mineral deposit will ever become an ore reserve.

Mineral reserveA mineral reserve is the economically mineable material derived from a measured and/or indicated mineral resource. It is inclusive of diluting materials and allows for losses that may occur when the material is mined. Appropriate assessments, which may include feasibility studies, have been carried out, including consideration of, and modification by, realistically assumed mining, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors. These assess-ments demonstrate at the time of reporting that extraction is reasonably justified. Mineral reserves are subdivided in order of increasing confidence into probable mineral reserves and proven mineral reserves

Mineral resourceA mineral resource is a concentration (or occurrence) of material of economic interest in or on the earth’s crust in such form, quality and quantity that there are reasonable and realistic prospects for eventual economic extraction. The location, quantity, grade, continuity and other geological characteristics of a mineral resource are known, estimated from specific geological evidence and knowledge, or interpreted from a well-constrained and portrayed geological model. Mineral resources are subdivided, in order of increasing confidence in respect of geoscientific evidence, into inferred, indicated and measured categories

Mineral resource classificationThere are several classification schemes worldwide, however the Canadian CIM classification (NI 43-101), the Australasian Joint ore Reserves Committee Code (Jorc Code), and the South African Code for the Reporting of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (Samrec) are the general standards.An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an indicated mineral resource. An indicated mineral resource has a higher level of confidence than an inferred mineral resource but has a lower level of confidence than a measured mineral resource. 1. Inferred mineral resource – An inferred mineral resource is that part of a mineral resource for which tonnage,

grade and mineral content can be estimated with a low level of confidence. It is inferred from geological evidence and assumed but not verified in terms of geological and/or grade continuity. It is based on information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes that may be limited or of uncertain quality and reliability.

2. Indicated mineral resource – An indicated mineral resource is the part of a mineral resource for which tonnage, densities, shape, physical characteristics, grade and mineral content can be estimated with a reasonable level of confidence. It is based on exploration, sampling and testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes. The locations are too widely or inappropriately placed to confirm geological and/or grade continuity but are spaced closely enough for continuity to be assumed.

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3. Measured mineral resource – A measured mineral resource is that part of a mineral resource for which tonnage, densities, shape, physical characteristics, grade and mineral content can be estimated with a high level of confidence. It is based on detailed and reliable exploration, sampling and testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes. The locations are spaced close enough to confirm geological continuity.

Further classification: • Probable mineral reserve – A probable mineral reserve is the mineable material derived from a measured and/or

indicated mineral resource. It is estimated with a lower level of confidence than a proved mineral reserve. It is inclusive of diluting materials and allows for losses that may occur when the material is mined. Appropriate assessments, which may include feasibility studies, have been carried out, including consideration of, and modification by, realistically assumed mining, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors. These assessments demonstrate at the time of reporting that extraction is reasonably justified.

• Proven mineral reserve – A proven mineral reserve is the economically mineable material derived from a measured mineral reserve. It is estimated with a high level of confidence. It is inclusive of diluting materials and allows for losses that may occur when the material is mined. Appropriate assessments, which may include feasibility studies, have been carried out, including consideration of and modification by, realistically assumed mining, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental factors. These assessments demonstrate at the time of reporting that extraction is reasonably justified.

MinimillsSteel production plants that rely on steel scrap as a base material rather than on ore. Products do not have the tight chemical composition of integrated plants and have narrower product lines.

Mining rights (South Africa)Mining companies that hold old-order mining rights have to convert those rights to new-order mining rights (which can be issued for up to 30 years) to continue mining in South Africa. The principal requirement of the Mining Charter is black ownership of 15% by 2009 and 26% by 2014. • When writing about mining licence applications for projects, it is not necessary to use “ the submission for the

new-order mining rights application”, when “the submission for the mining rights application” is better.

Monetary assetAn asset that will be settled in a fixed or easily determinable amount of money.

Net asset value per shareTotal equity in the balance sheet divided by the shares in issue.

Net capital employedEquity as defined above plus minority interests and interest-bearing borrowings, less cash and cash equivalents and other cash investments. Where average net capital employed is referred to, this is the average of the figures at the beginning and the end of the financial year.

Net debtBorrowings less cash and cash equivalents and other cash investments.

Net operating assetsMining assets, inventories, trade and other receivables (excluding value-added taxation), less trade and other payables.

Net operating assetsTangible assets, the current and noncurrent portion of inventories, current and noncurrent trade and other receivables (excluding recoverable tax, rebates, levies and duties), less current and noncurrent trade and other payables and deferred income (excluding unearned premiums on normal sale extended contracts).

Net smelter return (NSR)A royalty payment made by a producer of metals based on gross metal production from the property, less deduction of certain limited costs including smelting, refining, transportation and insurance costs.

Net tangible asset value per shareTotal equity in balance sheet less intangible assets, divided by the number of ordinary shares in issue.Nonhedge derivative and other commodity contract gain (loss)Derivatives that are neither designated as meeting the normal sale exemption under IAS 39, nor designated as cash flow hedges and other commodity contracts. • The company said loss on nonhedge derivatives and other commodity contracts was R11.22-billion or US$1.42-

billion compared with gain on nonhedge derivatives and other commodity contracts of R148-million or US$92-million last year.

Normal purchase normal sale exemption (NPSE)Hedge contracts designated as meeting the exemption criteria under IAS 39.

NI 43-101 (National Instrument 43-101)A set of reporting and disclosure standards imposed by regulators on Canadian-listed mining and exploration companies

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that govern how issuers report scientific and technical information about their mineral projects to the public anywhere in the world. It covers oral statements as well as written documents and websites, and it requires that all disclosure be based on advice by a “qualified person”.Nonrefractory oreore that is relatively easy to treat for recovery of the valuable substances.NuggetA small mass of previous metal, found free in nature.OpenpitA mine that is entirely on surface. Also referred to as an opencast mine.operating margin %operating profit as a percentage of product (gold) income.OreA mixture of valuable minerals and gangue minerals from which at least one of the minerals can be extracted at a profit.Ounce (plural ounces) abbreviation oz.1. An avoirdupois ounce, weighing 1/16 of an avoirdupois pound, or 28.3495 grams.2. A troy ounce, weighing 1/12 of a troy pound, or 480 grains, or 31.1035 grams.3. A US fluid ounce, with a volume of 1/16 of a US pint, 1.804 687 cubic inches or 29.573 531 millilitres.4. A British imperial fluid ounce, with a volume of 1/20 of an imperial pint, 1.733871 cubic inches or 28.413063 millilitres.OverburdenSoil, rock and other material that has to be removed to access the economic mineral in opencast mining.

Pay limitThe grade of a unit of ore at which the revenue from the recovered mineral content of the ore is equal to the total cash cost including ore reserve development and stay-in-business capital. This grade is expressed as an in situ value in grams a ton or ounces a short ton (before dilution and mineral losses).PelletA small, round, marble-sized ball of iron-ore manufactured as feed for blast furnaces.

PelletisingThe process by which iron-ore is crushed, ground into a powder, rolled into balls and fired in a furnace to produce strong, marble-sized pellets that contain 60% to 65% iron. Raw iron-ore pellets are generally manufactured within certain size categories and with mechanical properties high enough to maintain usefulness during the stresses of transference, transport and use. Both mechanical force and thermal processes are used to produce the correct pellet properties.

Pig IronThe intermediate product of smelting steel ore with coke and resin. Pig iron has a very high carbon content, typically 3.5% to 4.5%, which makes it very brittle and not useful directly as a material except for limited applications. Pig iron is typically poured directly out of the bottom of the blast furnace through a trough into a ladle car for transfer to the steel plant in liquid form, referred to as hot metal.

Pillar miningThe mining of scattered blocks of reef of variable size usually associated with older shafts, which have been left behind and are now being mined in the final clean-up stage of the mine’s orebody.

PrecipitateThe solid product of chemical reaction by fluids such as the zinc precipitation referred to below.

Prefeasibility studyA relatively comprehensive analysis that is qualified by the availability and accuracy of fundamental criteria and assumptions to the degree that it cannot be the basis for final decisions. This is a preliminary assessment of the economic viability of a deposit and forms the basis for justifying the completion of a more expensive feasibility study. A prefeasibility study summarises all geological, engineering, environmental, legal and economic information accumulated to date on the project. The prefeasibility study should have error limits of about 25%.

PrestrippingRemoval of overburden (waste rock) in advance of beginning operations to remove ore in an openpit operation.

Price received ($/oz and R/kg)Attributable gold income including realised nonhedge derivatives divided by attributable ounces/kilograms sold.

ProductivityAn expression of labour productivity based, for example, either on the ratio of grams of gold produced a month to the total number of employees or area mined (in square metres) a month to the total number of employees in underground mining operations.

Project capitalCapital expenditure (Capex) to either bring a new operation into production; to materially increase production capacity; or to materially extend the productive life of an asset.

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Pyrite flotationThis is the addition of a suite of chemicals to a mixture of ground ore and solution in such a way that a froth rich in pyrite, which also contains gold, floats to the surface for collection.

Qualified person (also see competent person)A qualified person (QP) is defined in NI43-101 (see above definition) as an individual who is an engineer or geoscientist with at least five years of experience in mineral exploration, mine development or operation or mineral project assessment, or any combination of these; has experience relevant to the subject matter of the mineral project and the technical report; and is a member of good standing of a professional association. The QP must warrant the accuracy and completeness of a company’s technical reports and public disclosures such as press releases or presentations and retains professional responsibility for the contents of the report.Realised nonhedge derivativesRepresents the current year income statement effect of nonhedge derivatives that were settled during the current year.

ReclamationIn the South African context, reclamation describes the process of reclaiming slimes (tailings) dumps using high-pressure water cannons to form a slurry which is pumped back to the metallurgical plants for processing.

Recovered/ Recovery gradeThe actual grade of ore realised after the mining and treatment process. The recovered mineral content for each unit of ore treated.ReefA gold-bearing sedimentary horizon, normally a conglomerate band that may contain economic levels of gold.

RefiningThe final purification process of a metal or mineral.

RehabilitationThe process of reclaiming land disturbed by mining to allow an appropriate post-mining use. Rehabilitation standards are defined by country-specific laws including, but not limited to, the South African Department of Mineral Resources, the US Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, and the relevant Australian mining authorities, and tackle, among other issues, ground and surface water, topsoil, final slope gradient, waste handling and revegetation issues. The impact on neighbouring communities is of vital importance.

Related partyParties are considered related if one party has the ability to control the other party or exercise significant influence over the other party in making financial and operating decisions.Resource calculationThe mathematical or statistical process of calculating or estimating the amount of material in a mineral deposit, using drill hole information in combination with a variety of geological data. Resources are generally quoted in terms of tons of rock present which contain a specified grade of metal(s), for example 98-million tons at 43% iron.Return on equityAdjusted headline earnings expressed as a percentage of the average equity, adjusted for the timing of acquisitions and disposals.Return on net capitalAdjusted headline earnings before finance costs and unwinding of decommissioning and restoration obligations expressed as a percentage of average net capital employed, adjusted for the timing of acquisitions and disposals.Rod and tube millsThese are types of circular grinding mills used to break the ore down into fine particles in preparation for dissolving out the gold by means of cyanide.Room-and-pillar (also called bord-and-pillar)A mining system in which the mined material is extracted across a horizontal plane while leaving pillar of untouched material to support the overburden leaving open areas or rooms underground. It is usually used for relatively flat-lying deposits, such as those that follow a particular stratum.RoyaltyAn amount of money paid at regular intervals by the lessee or operator of an explor-ation or mining property to the owner of the ground. Generally based on a certain amount a ton or a percentage of the total production or profits. Also, the fee paid for the right to use a patented process.

Secondary gold recoveryAny scavenging process for gold following initial primary gold recovery.Seismic eventA sudden inelastic deformation within a given volume of rock that radiates detectable seismic waves (energy).

Scoping studyThe first level of engineering study that is performed on a mineral deposit to determine its economic viability. This is usually performed to determine whether the expense of a full prefeasibility study and later a full feasibility study is warranted. Scoping studies may be completed internally by the company or by independent engineers.

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SinterPieces or granules of fused iron-ore.

SinteringManufacturing process in which sinter is produced from fine raw iron-ore, small coke, sand-sized limestone and numerous other steel plant waste materials that contain some iron. These fine materials are proportioned to obtain a desired product chemistry and then mixed together. This raw material mix is then placed on a sintering strand, which is similar to a steel conveyor belt, where it is ignited by a gas fired-furnace and fused by the heat from the coke fines into larger-size pieces of 0.5 in to 2.0 in.

Significant influencefinance: The ability, directly or indirectly, to participate in, but not exercise control over, the financial and operating policy decision of an entity so as to obtain economic benefit from its activities.sustainability: Although a mining entity may feel that its activities do not impact the environment in which a nearby community operates, the use of underground water resources by the mine may deplete community water reserves. The mining company would there be deemed to have a significant influence on the community.

SkarnA rock of complex mineralogical composition, formed by contact metamorphism and metasomatism of carbonate rocks.ShaftA shaft provides principal access to the underground workings for transporting personnel, equipment, supplies, ore and waste. A shaft is also used for ventilation, and as an auxiliary exit. It is equipped with a hoist system that lowers and raises conveyances for men, material and ore in the shaft.

SlagThe vitreous mass separated from the fused metals in the smelting process, for example impurities in the iron-ore that have been captured by limestone or other fluxes.

SlipingThe widening of an existing excavation, either by mechanical or explosive means, to increase its overall dimensions.

SmeltingThermal processing whereby molten metal is liberated from beneficiated ore or concentrate with impurities separating as lighter slag.

Stay-in-business capitalCapital expenditure to maintain existing production assets, including replacement of vehicles, plant and machinery, ore reserve development and capex related to safety, health and the environment.

SteelSteel is an alloy of iron usually containing less than 1% carbon which is used most frequently in the automotive and construction industries or is cast into bars, strips, sheets, nails, spikes, wire, rods or pipes as needed by the intended user.

Strip ratioThe ratio of tons of overburden waste material to tons of ore in an openpit mine.

Stope/sThe underground excavation within the orebody where the main production takes place.

StopingThe process of mining the orebody on the plane of the reef.

Stoping widthThe sum of the channel width and external waste widths.

StrikeThe direction in which a horizontal line can be drawn on a plane.

SyngeneticFormed contemporaneously with the deposition of the sediment.

TailingsThe portion of the ore from which most of the valuable material has been removed by concentrating and that is, therefore, low in value and rejected.

Tailings damDams or dumps created from waste material from processed ore after the economically recoverable metal has been extracted.

Thermal processingTo give to iron-ore pellets high resistance metallurgic mechanics and appropriate characteristics, the pellets are subjected to thermal processing, which involves stages of drying, daily pay burn, burn, after-burn and cooling (in a cooling tower). The duration of each stage and the temperature that the pellets are subjected to have a strong influence on the final product quality.

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Thermal regenerationThe process of heating activated carbon granules typically to 750 ºC to restore the properties of carbon for the next gold extraction cycle.

Thrusting eventA period of structural compression in geological time with the generation of low-angle thrust faults.

Total cash costs (total cash costs per ounce)A measure of the average cost of producing an ounce of gold, calculated by dividing attributable total cash costs in a period by attributable total gold production (in ounces) over the same period. Total cash costs include site costs for all mining, processing, administration, royalties and production taxes, as well as contributions from by-products but are exclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortisation, rehabilitation, employment severance costs, corporate administration costs, capital costs and exploration costs.

Total production costs (total cash costs per ounce)A measure of the average cost of producing an ounce of gold, calculated by dividing attributable total production costs in a period by attributable total gold production (in ounces) over the same period. Total production costs represent total cash costs, plus depreciation, depletion and amortisation, employee severance costs and rehabilitation and other noncash costs.

TonWikipedia defines several similar units of mass or volume called the ton:

TonnageQuantities where the ton or tonne is an appropriate unit of measure. Typically used to measure resources and reserves of ore-bearing material in situ or quantities of ore and waste material mined, transported or milled.

Tramming widthA dimension used to denote the effect of waste tons in the stoping operation, such as from gullies, on the reef tons produced. It is the sum of the channel width plus the impact of waste tonnage in the stoping operations, for example from gullies and extraneous falls of ground, expressed in centimetres.

Tribute agreementA legal agreement between two parties in which one party makes a portion of its mining rights available to the other party for exploitation in consideration for a share in the revenue and costs derived from such mining rights.

Troy ounce (see ounce)(Used in imperial statistics) Equal to 31.10348 g.

unrealised nonhedge derivatives and other commodity contractsThis represents the change in fair value, including translation differences, of all open nonhedge derivative positions and adjustments to other commodity contracts from the previous reporting date to the current reporting date.

Vibroseis survey (3-D survey)Geophysical technique used to generate seismic waves of controlled frequencies. These waves reflect from rock interfaces and are analysed to produce three-dimensional images of the subsurface geological structure with a resolution of around 25. This process facilitates accurate long-term mine planning.

WasteBarren rock or mineralised material that is too low in grade to be economically processed.

Full Common Quantity Notes name name Pounds Kilograms

long ton “ton” (UK) 2 240 1 016 Used in countries such as UK that use the imperial system, except Canada. Conveniently, the mass is less than 2% different from the metric ton.

short ton “ton” (US) 2 000 907.2 Used in the US and Canada.

tonne, “metric ton” 2 204.6 1 000 The tonne is also known just as a ton metric ton (US, UK), in areas that use the metric measurement else “ton” system.

ton 2 240 1 016 Used in the iron industry in the 17th shortweight and 18th centuries.

ton 2 400 1 088.6 Used in the iron industry in the 17th longweight and 18th centuries. The hundredweight was 120 lb.

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Weighted average number of ordinary sharesThe number of ordinary shares in issue at the beginning of the year, increased by shares issued during the year, weighted on a time basis for the period during which they have participated in the income of the group, and increased by share options virtually certain to be exercised.

yieldThe amount of valuable mineral or metal recovered from each unit mass of ore expressed as ounces a short ton or grams a metric ton.

Zinc precipitationZinc is the element used to precipitate gold from solution.

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Country Currency SymbolAfghanistan afghani AfAlbania lek LkAlgeria Algerian dinar ADAngola kwanza KzArgentina peso PsArmenia dram DramAruba Aruban florin AflAustralia Australian dollar A$Austria euro €Azerbaijan manat ManatBahamas Bahamian dollar B$Bahrain Bahraini dinar BDBangladesh taka TkBarbados Barbadian dollar Bd$Belarus rubel BRbBelgium euro €Belize Belize dollar Bz$Benin CFA franc CFAfra

Bermuda Bermuda dollar Bda$Bhutan ngultrum NuBolivia boliviano BsBosnia & Hercegovina convertible marka KMBotswana pula PBrazil real (pl. reais) RBrunei Brunei dollar/ringgit Br$Bulgaria lev LvBurkina Faso CFA franc CFAfrBurundi Burundi franc BufrCambodia riel CRCameroon CFA franc CFAfrCanada Canadian dollar C$Cape Verde Cape Verde escudo CVEscCentral African Republic CFA franc CFAfrChad CFA franc CFAfrChile Chilean peso PsChina yuan/renminbi RmbColombia Colombian peso PsComoros Comorian franc CfrCongo (Brazzaville) CFA franc CFAfrCongo (Dem. Rep. of) Congolese franc FCNZCosta Rica Costa Rican colón CCôte d’Ivoire CFA franc CFAfrCroatia kuna HRKCuba Cuban peso PsCyprus Cyprus pound/Turkish lira C£/TLCzech Republic koruna KcDenmark Danish krone DKr

Annexure SevenThe currencies’ guideThe correct spelling of currencies and usage of their symbols has attracted considerable debate among members of the Creamer Media team. We are, therefore, guided by The Economist usage.

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Country Currency SymbolDjibouti Djibouti franc DfrDominican Republic Dominican Republic peso PsDubai UAE dirham DhEast Timor US dollar US$Ecuador US dollar US$Egypt Egyptian pound £EEl Salvador El Salvador colón CEquatorial Guinea CFA franc CFAfrEritrea nafka NfaEstonia kroon EEKEthiopia birr BirrFiji Fiji or Fijian dollar F$Finland euro €France euro €Gabon CFA franc CFAfrThe Gambia dalasi DGeorgia lari LariGermany euro €Ghana cedi CGreece euro €Grenada East Caribbean dollar EC$Guatemala quetzal QGuinea Guinean franc GnfGuinea-Bissau CFA franc CFAfrGuyana Guyanese dollar G$Haiti gourde GHonduras lempira LaHong Kong Hong Kong dollar HK$Hungary forint FtIceland krona IkrIndia Indian rupee RsIndonesia rupiah RpIran rial IRIraq New Iraqi dinar NIDIreland euro €Israel New Israeli shekel NISItaly euro €Jamaica Jamaican dollar J$Japan yen ¥Jordan Jordanian dinar JDKazakhstan tenge TengeKenya Kenya shilling KShKirgizstan som SomNorth Korea won or North Korean won WonSouth Korea won or South Korean won WKuwait Kuwaiti dinar KDLaos kip KLatvia lat LVLLebanon Lebanese pound L£Lesotho loti (pl. maloti) MLiberia Liberian dollar L$

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Country Currency SymbolLibya Libyan dinar LDLithuania litas LTLLuxembourg euro €Macau pataca MPtcMacedonia denar DenMalagasy Malagasy franc MgfrMalawi kwacha MKMalaysia Malaysian dollar/ringgit M$Mali CFA franc CFAfrMalta Maltese lira LmMauritania ouguiya UMMauritius Mauritius rupee MRsMexico Mexican peso PsMoldova Moldavian leu (pl. lei) LeiMongolia togrog TgMontenegro euro €Morocco dirham DhMozambique metical MTMyanmar kyat KtNamibia Namibia dollar N$Nepal Nepalese rupee NRsNetherlands euro €Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles florin NAfNew Caledonia French Pacific franc CFPfrNew Zealand New Zealand dollar NZ$Nicaragua córdoba CNiger CFA franc CFAfrNigeria naira NNorway Norwegian krone NKroman omani rial oRPakistan Pakistan or Pakistani rupee PRsPalestinian Territories Jordanian dinar, New Israeli shekel JD, NISPanama balboa BPapua New Guinea kina KinaParaguay guarani GPeru nuevo sol NsPhilippines Philippine peso PPoland zloty ZPortugal euro €Puerto Rico US dollar US$Qatar Qatari riyal QRRomania leu (pl. lei) LeiRussia rouble RbRwanda Rwandan franc RwfrSamoa tala or Samoan dollar TalaSão Tomé & Príncipe dobra DbSaudi Arabia Saudi riyal SRSenegal CFA franc CFAfrSerbia and Montenegro dinar YuDSeychelles Seychelles rupee SRsSierra Leone leone LeSingapore Singapore dollar S$Slovakia koruna Sk

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Country Currency SymbolSlovenia tolar SITSolomon Islands Solomon Islands dollar SI$Somalia Somali shilling SoShSouth Africa rand RSpain euro €Sri Lanka Sri Lanka or Sri Lankan rupee SLRsSudan Sudanese dinar SDSuriname Suriname guilder SGSwaziland lilangeni (pl. emalangeni) ESweden Swedish krona SKrSwitzerland Swiss franc SwfrSyria Syrian pound S£Taiwan New Taiwan dollar NT$Tajikistan somoni STanzania Tanzanian shilling TShThailand baht BtTogo CFA franc CFAfrTonga pa’anga or tonga/tongan dollar T$Trinidad & Tobago TT dollar TT$Tunisia Tunisian dinar TDTurkey Turkish lira TLTurkmenistan manat ManatTurks and Caicos Islands dollar US$Uganda New Ugandan shilling NUShUkraine hryvnya HRNUnited Arab Emirates UAE dirham DhUnited Kingdom pound/sterling £United States dollar $Uruguay Uruguayan new peso PsUzbekistan som SomVanuatu vatu VtVenezuela bolívar BsVietnam dong DWestern Samoa tala TalaWindward & Leeward Islandsb East Caribbean dollar EC$Yemen Yemeni rial YRZambia kwacha ZKZimbabwe Zimbabwe dollar Z$