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Umbonowethu November 2024 2Soaring to new heightsCEO%u2019S MESSAGE4In this issue...7Editing, layout & design by Wordbloom Media Mastery | www.wordbloom.co.zaFirst WordUSM bursaries and workplace experienceCelebrating a plastic-free Heritage DayIt%u2019s a real family affair!86We crushed our last cane for the season midway through the last week of November (just under 1.24 million tons cane for the year) and boil-off has now begun. It%u2019s the closing of one chapter and the opening of another, and then the offcrop. This is where we lay the foundation for a good crushing campaign in 2025, but before we get there, Umbonowethu presents us with an opportunity to reflect on where we have come from. Sadly, we are all disappointed about not reaching our Ox Braai target of 1.26 million tons of cane, largely due to dry weather for most of the season. If we are honest, our crushing performance also slipped, as measured by our LTA, finishing at just over 7% compared to a budget of just over 6%. This highlights the importance of a good upcoming off-crop! Equally, our attention to health and safety also slipped. We are all responsible for safety and I support Gugu Mhlongo%u2019s plea to %u201ckeep safety foremost in our minds%u201d (see page 3). On a more positive note, I was personally excited when the plate bending machine arrived (as reported on page 4) because this has been on our capital list for more than a decade. However, due to our rigorous capital adjudication and prioritisation programme, it only made the cut this year. Getting on top of our capital programme is a great reason to celebrate! This plate bending machine provides another opportunity for USM employees to grow. This is something we pride ourselves on at USM, particularly through the provision of various training opportunities. Page 5 presents some insights into these opportunities. Please also remember USM%u2019s online training academy, where completion certificates are available for numerous short courses. Anyone interested in advancing their career at USM is well advised to regularly engage in these courses. We are also helping students with their tertiary studies by providing bursaries in partnership with SITFE. The plan is that these bright young people will come and work at USM and we look forward to welcoming a new graduate, Sithembele Mkhwanazi, into the USM team in 2025 (page 6). It%u2019s not all about work; having fun at USM is also important and Heritage Day never disappoints. It was wonderful to see USM employees celebrating their cultural diversity in traditional dress and tasting various traditional meals. The associated planting of indigenous tress on the USM campus is another great reminder that we are all citizens of planet earth and that we need to work together to sustain our environment and our wonderful community (page 7). The climax of fun at USM must be our long-standing fishing competition. See page 8 for the 2025 dates! Enjoy the read and have a well-deserved festive season break. As always, work smarter, work together, have fun and be safe!