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Fewer people were dying or getting injured in the mining sector under the democratic government compared to similar cases before 1994.
This is according to Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane who released mine health and safety statistics in Pretoria today.
Zwane said, according to the recorded numbers, 2015 had seen “the lowest ever fatalities recorded in the mining sector since the start of mining in South Africa”.
“This is encouraging and an indication that our combined efforts as stakeholders are bearing fruits. A total of 77 fatalities were reported in 2015 compared to 84 reported for 2014 (and) this translates to an improvement of 8% year on year,” he said.
Zwane said 1 331 injuries were recorded in 2015 versus 96 in the previous year.
This was an indication that “we are going in the right direction” towards achieving “zero harm” in mining, he added.
The minister said notable strides have been made in curbing mine deaths and injuries since the dawn of democracy.
“Statistics shows that before 1994 the mining industry reported high fatalities, injuries and occupational diseases. The figures reported by the industry were on average 800 fatalities and 12 000 injuries per annum over the two decades before 1994,” Zwane said.
“However, since the dawn of democracy as the state developed and implemented the appropriate policies, there has been a downward trend in the annual figures. Despite this, we believe there is room to do even better.”
According to the report, 33 people died in gold mines in 2015, down from 44 in 2014. Platinum mines accounted for 22 fatalities in 2015 versus a total of 16 in 2014.
Zwane released the stats just a few days after four miners died in an underground fire incident at Impala’s Shaft 14 in Rustenburg.
Unions said two other workers died at the same shaft in December, thus bringing the number of fatalities to six in about a month.
This incident once again brought mine safety under the spotlight amid allegations that the deaths could have been avoided.
They were allegedly killed after a senior official allowed them to go underground even after reports that a fire had already been detected in some mining levels there.
With the decrease in the number of similar incidents recorded, the question is whether zero harm was possible. While the ministry seemed optimistic; one mineworkers’ union did not think so.
Joseph Mathunjwa, president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said the recent Impala incident was an indication of “blatant disregard of lives and putting profits before workers’ lives” by mining companies.
Mathunjwa said this was the case because mining houses were never prosecuted even when negligence had been proved in cases where workers died.
“To the mines, these workers are just numbers. They die today and are replaced tomorrow and they continue to mine and make maximum profits,” he said.
“They care less about the deceased, their families and their children. It is so because employees can’t be sued and held liable because they are protected by our very same laws.”
