The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) wants the Department of Mineral Resources to investigate an incident at Limpopo's Samancor Eastern mine in which a mineworker died.
The worker, an NUM member from Lesotho, was killed on Wednesday during a fall of ground incident at the Tweefontein Shaft.
The NUM’s North East regional secretary Phillip Mankge says it's time that the mining industry serioulsy reflect on the fatalities that continue in the industry.
"As the NUM, we believe that all accidents can be prevented including this one", says Mankge.
"Fall of rocks has been one of the major killers in the mining industry.
"We call upon the mining companies to invest more money in protecting the lives of workers than focusing more on profits.
"One death in the industry is just one death too many...production should not and must not be at the expense of mineworkers' lives."
The NUM also called on government to investigate possible safe international standards.
"The Department of Mineral Resources should benchmark with other mining industries around the world", says Mankge.
