After a lengthy process, Impala Platinum’s takeover of Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) was finally completed in July.
Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Mining company Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats) has said that prior to the accident that resulted in the death of 11 miners, and left 75 others injured, all daily safety protocols had taken place.
The incident occurred on Monday afternoon at the 11-shaft operation mine near Rustenburg after the conveyance that was lifting employees to surface level at the end of their shift unexpectedly reversed direction and began descending back down at a rapid speed through the shaft.
The company suspended operations on Tuesday and Wednesday while it ran checks on equipment.
“Given that the lift was still attached to the winder rope as it slipped, the lift was not in freefall and, as a result, the precise break force is not yet known,” Implats chief executive Nico Muller said in a statement following the incident.
According to Implats spokesperson Johan Theron, the company had conducted its regular maintenance checks on Monday, including the safety of the conveyance cage used to carry miners underground and back to the surface.
“Earlier that day, like all other days, it was done and our internal experts did not notice anything [and] they signed it off as safe and this was recorded in our log books,” Theron said.
He added the checks were done daily by shaft engineers, a winder foreman, winder driver operator and winder engineers to determine the safety of cage doors, the condition of the ropes and other safety devices.
Visiting the scene of the incident in Rustenburg on Tuesday, mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe said that his department will be working with Implats to investigate the incident.
“There is going to be an investigation. It will be followed by an inquiry. This is a serious matter. Eleven people are dead so you don’t just throw around information loosely. Allow the formal processes to take their course. Follow them through; put your evidence, cross-examine the evidence and get to the depth of the issues,” Mantashe said.
In a statement on Tuesday, Implats described the incident as devastating and said the company would provide ongoing support to the families of the deceased.
“This is the darkest day in the history of Implats and our hearts are heavy for the lives lost and the individuals affected by this devastating accident,” Muller said.
The company also said that the group would “financially support the children of our lost colleagues, from birth through to the completion of their tertiary studies”.
President Cyril Ramaphosa offered his condolences to the families of the deceased mine workers, and wished the injured miners a speedy recovery.
He called on relevant partners to assist the department’s chief inspector of mines, David Msiza, with the investigation into the cause of the incident.
“This process is vital to protecting mineworkers in line with the industry’s Zero Harm objectives and enabling operational continuity in mines,” the presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.
Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) president Joseph Mathunjwa called on officials to make amendments to the Health and Safety Act to make it possible for employers to be charged with culpable homicide in cases where a company’s negligence resulted in the death of an employee.
“But they will never. Who is going to charge them? Because the politicians have an interest in these mines. I mean, if they never had an interest, the Mine Health and Safety Act would have been amended a long time ago,” he said.
As of Tuesday, 41 fatalities were recorded in South Africa’s mining industry this year. Last year, 49 workers died in mining-related incidents, which was the lowest number of fatalities to date, according to data from the Minerals Council South Africa.