Staff

The Western Cape Mineral Processing Facility consists of academics and Technical Officers in the Departments of Chemical Engineering of the University of Cape Town, the University of Stellenbosch and the Cape Technikon. The Technical Officers are mostly metallurgists with several years of production experience whose main objective is to improve the practical education of mineral processing students by:

• Organising and managing mineral processing practicals, laboratories and equipment.
• Scheduling and demonstrating mineral processing practicals.
• Designing new mineral processing practicals based on industrial trends and needs.
• Implementing safety and operational procedures.
• Liasing between tertiary educational institutions teaching mineral processing in the Western Cape.

The WCMPF is seen as a vehicle for developing both students and staff and many of the past Technical Officers have either moved into academia or have achieved success in the mineral processing industry. A listing of the people currently involved in the WCMPF is given in the table below. A special mention should be made of one of the key founder members of the WCMPF, Professor Cyril O'Connor, who is still active in the affairs of the WCMPF and is currently Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Cape Town. Mention should also be made of Professors Jannie Van Deventer (University of Melbourne) and JP Franzidis (University of Queensland) who were instrumental in founding and developing the WCMPF in their roles as Heads of Chemical Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch and Cape Town respectively.

Front (Left/Right) Paul vd Plas, Dave Deglon, Peter Lekoma, Andre vd Westhuisen

Middle (Left/Right) Emile Scheepers, Sue Harrison, Francis Petersen

Back (Left/Right) Leon Lorenzen, Jacques Eksteen