Pretoria - Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has conveyed his condolences to the family of a mine worker whose body was found on Friday following a fall of ground accident earlier this week at Impala Platinum Mine.
"As a sector, we must continue to intensify efforts to strengthen safety at our mines. We have made significant strides in this regard. However, we must do better in order to meet our goal of zero harm,” Minister Zwane said in a statement.
The name of the miner will be released once his family has been informed.
According to the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources, two rock drill operators went missing earlier this week after a shaft collapsed at Impala Platinum Mine in Rustenburg, trapping the miners.
Another rock drill operator remains trapped and the search is still ongoing. The Department of Mineral Resources is working together with the mine and rescue services to find the miner.
“These incidents confirm the resolve of the Committee that legislation around issues of health and safety in mines ought to be tightened.
“Mining in South Africa should not to be like going to war, where death is a legitimate and real expectation,” chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources Sahlulele Luzipho said.
He said mining cannot be all about profits but should also ensure that mine workers are safe underground. – SAnews.gov.za
