Marginal decline in mining deaths ‘nothing to celebrate’
The Department of Mineral Resources said on Friday that there were 81 fatalities at mines in 2018.
The number is a slight improvement compared to the previous year when 90 miners died.
Speaking at the announcement in Tshwane on Friday, the chief inspector of mines at the department, David Msiza, said he believes the marginal improvement is a positive sign.
Msiza congratulated the platinum sector for a “commendable decrease of 59% in fatalities”.
“However we are still greatly concerned that people are still losing their lives.”
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Most of the deaths were due to rock fall incidents and seismic events.
“About 31 fatalities last year were as a result of fall of ground accidents, either rock falls... or mining earth quake,” said Msiza.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union’s (Amcu) president, Joseph Mathunjwa, said the decline in deaths is nothing to celebrate.
Mathunjwa wants mining CEOs to face the full might of the law when there are deaths at their mines.
“Because this Section 54 is just a lip service it does have any effect whatsoever. If you charge them, they will pay because they have money.”
Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said while criminal charges might be appropriate in certain cases, it cannot be a stick with which to beat mining bosses.
“Where a manager is negligent that manager must be charged. But when there’s an accident it can’t be a formula that every time there is death we must arrest. Actually, by now, they would have 81 managers in prison.”
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