Managing Partner

Pheello started his career as a learner official in mining in 1987 at Vaal Reefs Exploration and Mining Company, which was a gold and uranium division of the Anglo American South Africa stable in Orkney near Klerksdorp. After completing his training shifts as a learner miner in the Chamber of Mines Training Center on the then Vaal Reefs 6 shaft, he obtained a permanent blasting certificate which enabled him to work and operate as a miner and a developer. He worked as a developer at the then Vaal Reefs 2 shaft. After completing the stipulated training period, he was appointed to an acting shift overseer position.

About Pheello Dikane

Whilst he was a shift overseer at the then Vaal Reefs 8 shaft (Great Noligwa Mine) he studied and obtained a Mine Overseer’s Certificate of Competency (MO certificate). A few months after obtaining the MO certificate he was granted an opportunity to act as a production Mine Overseer for eight (8) months. After being in the position he moved from Great Noligwa Mine to the then Vaal Reefs 9 shaft (Kopanang Mine) as a production shift overseer. It was during that time at Kopanang Mine while working as a shift overseer that he decided to study law part time through the Potchefstroom University for Christian High Education (PU for CHE). After working as a production shift overseer and studying for two and a half years, he was appointed as a Production Mine Overseer at Kopanang Mine.

He completed his LLB degree whilst a Production Mine Overseer and once he graduated, he decided to go serve his articles of clerkship to change his career from that of being a miner to an attorney. He served his articles of clerkship at Perrott van Niekerk Woodhouse Incorporated, a law firm which specialized in labour law in Sandton. While serving his articles of clerkship he studied and completed his Master’s Degree in labour law (LLM).

On completing his articles of clerkship and successfully completing his attorneys’ board exams he was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa. He then returned to AngloGold Ashanti’s corporate office and joined the Legal Department as one of the legal advisors. At AngloGold he dealt with general legal matters, including sale and leasing of properties, labour law and environmental law matters. During his time as a legal advisor at AngloGold Ashanti he attended and completed courses in Environmental Law for Managers, Environmental Impact Assessment and Lead Environmental Auditor through the Center for Environmental Management System, at PU for CHE.

After working in the corporate environment for almost a year he decided to go back to practice and joined Brink Cohen Le Roux Incorporated Attorneys as a senior associate. During this time he worked in the Mine Health and Safety Law as well as the Labour Law sections of the firm. He was exposed to mine accident inquiries held in terms of section 65 of the Mine Health and Safety Act as well as criminal prosecution emanating from such inquiries.

He also dealt with accident investigations in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety presided over by Inspector of Labour. As far as labour law is concerned he was exposed to, amongst others, dealing with and presenting clients’ cases at the City of Johannesburg in internal disciplinary hearings. He was later made a director at Brink Cohen Le Roux Inc. He left Brink Cohen Le Roux to join Harmony Gold as an executive manager responsible for legal, compliance and later governance was added to his portfolio. As an executive manager responsible for legal at Harmony, he handled and managed all legal matters including fatal inquiries in terms of the Mine Health and Safety law, medico-legal inquiries, labour matters, defending criminal prosecutions, preparing and drafting representations of the employer in responses to section 54 and 55 orders issued in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act. He attended to applications presented and submitted to the office of the Director General in terms of section 96 of the Mineral Petroleum Resource Development Act. He also dealt with environmental matters, particularly those dealing with rehabilitation of surface areas in terms of closure plans and the sale and purchase of fixed property on behalf of the company.

Towards the end of 2014 he decided to pursue the interest he had developed whilst in the employ of Harmony for 5 years of going back to practising law. He founded Pheello Dikane Incorporated Attorneys (PhD Inc.) through which he is pursuing his interests in dealing with Mine Health and Safety Law, Occupational Health and Safety Law, Labour Law and Environmental Law.