A report of an audit on 355 mines across South Africa on Monday revealed that mine safety was below target at just 66%, and authorities called for stronger measures to reduce mine deaths.
”We are not very happy with the outcome, we would have expected the industry to fare better but we also understand that it’s a complex matter,” Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said.
She added that penalties in the current law governing the mining sector were not effective, and needed to be strengthened.
The report recommended further maintenance of infrastructure at mines, developing a national seismic network, safety training for miners and investments in skills development. — Reuters