Mining suspended at Implats shaft

Mineral resources minister calls for probe after the deaths of four miners at Impala Platinum’s Rustenburg operation.

Rustenburg - Mining at Impala Platinum’s Rustenburg mine shaft 14 has been suspended pending an investigation into the deaths of four miners, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said on Sunday.

“In terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act, I have instructed that an investigation should commence urgently to determine what led to the incident. Furthermore, no mining will take place until the department has declared the area safe for workers,” said Zwane, who visited the mine on Sunday.

Four miners died at shaft 14 on Friday night after a fire broke out underground during the night shift, resulting in the four being trapped underground. All other miners were evacuated during rescue operations.

“We met earlier (on Sunday) with the mine management to express our concern on health and safety, and agreed that the investigation will assist all of us to understand exactly what transpired,” Zwane said.

“As the regulator of the mining industry, we take matters of health and safety extremely seriously. It is thus a serious concern to us when incidents such as these take place. We have always maintained that the loss of one life is one too many, and the goal for every mining operation should be that every worker returns home unharmed every single day.

“Health and safety is everyone’s responsibility - we therefore urge employers and employees alike to continue to prioritise health and safety. As the regulator we will continue to enforce compliance with the act, in order to ensure that mining-related deaths, injuries, and ill-health are reduced, and ultimately, that we reach our goal of ‘zero harm’,” Zwane said.

In a statement earlier on Sunday, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said urgent action was needed to prevent worker fatalities at mines and more money needed to be spent on safety measures.

“There were also two fatalities at the same shaft in December 2015. As the NUM, we are deeply concerned about these fatalities happening at Impala Platinum. We call upon the company to pull up its socks and improve its health and safety system. NUM members and other mineworkers are extremely worried about health and safety standards at Impala Platinum mine,” NUM heath and safety secretary Erick Gcilitshana said.

The NUM called on mining companies to invest more money in protecting the lives of workers “than focusing more on profits”.

ANA