South African Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjica said on Wednesday that the findings made by a Thabazimbi magistrate regarding the mine accident that occurred at the Northam Platinum mine on September 20 2004 sent a clear message that unsafe or unhealthy mine practices will not be tolerated.
Last Friday, Magistrate DC Torlage issued the findings with regard to the mine accident that occurred in 2004 at the Northam Platinum mine, where nine people died, the Department of Minerals and Energy said in a statement.
The National Union of Mineworkers said on Friday in a statement that the chief magistrate of Thabazimbi had found platinum miner Northam Platinum guilty of negligence regarding the accident.
Northam, on the other hand, said that the findings found that “negligence could not be excluded on the part of the mine”.
Sonjica said she hoped that the mining industry would immediately introduce the necessary pro-active measures in order to prevent a similar belt-conveyor accident elsewhere.
“Minister Sonjica wishes to express her sincere condolences to the families and relatives of those who lost their lives as a result of this accident.
“In addition, the minister wishes to thank Mr DC Torlage, the prosecutor, the legal representatives who acted on behalf of the unions, associations and management as well as the witnesses who participated for the cordial manner in which the inquest was conducted,” the Department of Minerals and Energy said.
These findings were a culmination of a joint inquiry held in terms of the Inquest Act and the Mine Health and Safety Act to determine the cause of death of nine miners who died in an underground fire, the department added.
“The findings reiterated that a formal risk assessment was not conducted to determine the consequence of a frictional fire or the effectiveness of the escape strategy.
“It was stressed that the commissioning, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of belt conveyors should be such that mine employees can perform their work without endangering their health and safety or that of any other persons,” the department concluded. — I-Net Bridge