By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Impala Platinum management has confirmed the death of another mineworker at the mine Shaft 11, in Rustenburg in the North West.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the management said that one worker who was hospitalised succumbed to his injuries.
The company adds that 74 miners are still receiving medical attention.
The mineworkers were injured on Monday when their elevator used to bring the workers back up to the surface malfunctioned.
Spokesperson Johan Theron says operations remain suspended at its mines to allow for mourning, and to conduct precautionary internal and third-party audits on the conveyance and winding systems at every shaft.
“Implats will provide ongoing support to the families of the deceased and has set aside funds to assist with their funerals. In addition to standard Company funding, the Group will also financially support the children of our late colleagues, from birth through to the completion of their tertiary studies.”
However, production at 11 Shaft and 11C Shaft will remain suspended while internal investigations and inquiries into the accident are completed, remedial actions and repairs are undertaken and until regulatory approval is granted for the resumption of production.
The company says production at all other Impala Rustenburg shafts will resume on Thursday, 30 November.
Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe visited the mine on Tuesday and was given a briefing about the accident, the worst to hit South Africa’s mining sector since 2001 when 12 miners were killed in an explosion at the Beatrix gold mine in the Free State.
“We are mourning the passing of these mineworkers and sympathise with the families. This is a disaster which will require a thorough investigation in line with the Mine Health and Safety Act. It has dented our efforts to move to zero harm,” Mantashe said.
“Zero harm” refers to the noble industry, labour and government goal of making mining so safe in South Africa that no one dies on the job.
It would be an understatement to describe it as an elusive target, but massive strides have been made on the health and safety front in South Africa’s deep and dangerous mines.
In 2022, fatalities in South Africa’s mining industry hit a record low for a single year since the start of industrial-scale operations in the late 19th century. At 49, it still meant that a miner was killed on average almost every week last year.
This figure was less than a fifth of the 2003 death toll of 270. In the 1980s as many as 800 miners were killed in a single year. But the Implats disaster means that at least 52 miners have been killed on the job in 2023, so this year will not be a record year for safety.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his sadness at the death of mineworkers at Impala Platinum Mine Shaft 11, in Rustenburg in the North West.
“The President offers his deep condolences to the families of the deceased mineworkers.
“The President extends his thoughts to the management and staff of Implats and wishes the injured workers, especially those who are in critical care, a full recovery,” the Presidency said in a statement.
Ramaphosa has called on all stakeholders to assist the Chief Inspector of Mines in the investigation that will be undertaken in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act.
According to the Presidency, this process is vital to protecting mineworkers in line with the industry’s Zero Harm objectives and enabling operational continuity in mines.