As SA's mines return to full staffing levels from June 1, AngloGold Ashanti said it had finalised testing of employees at its Mponeng mine that showed a third of workers were infected with the coronavirus.
SA is easing the strict lockdown implemented from March 27, opening industry, manufacturing, mining and other businesses from the start of June.
For mining companies, the return to normal operations brings the higher risk of infected employees as a number of companies have already reported closures of mines because of staff testing positive for the virus.
AngloGold said it had completed the testing of 651 people and 196 had tested positive. The Mponeng mine near Carletonville in Gauteng, the world's deepest at 4km below surface, was temporarily closed by the company.
“In the vast majority of these cases, the individuals were asymptomatic, with the balance showing very mild symptoms,” AngloGold said on Monday, adding these employees were now in isolation.
The mine had 2,400 people back at work under the April 16 change in regulations that allowed underground mines to return to 50% of staffing levels.
The Minerals Council SA, a body that promotes and protects mining companies' interests, noted that about 49% of the sector's 450,000 employees were back at work.
The return to normal operations could take two or three weeks in a carefully managed process to bring the balance of mineworkers back, but there was no guarantee full operations would resume.
The government and council have issued standard operating procedures for companies to follow as mineworkers return, including screening, testing where necessary, isolation and quarantine.
Underground mines are unavoidably confined spaces, with thousands of workers grouping on the surface to be moved underground in steel cages and then transported to their working places. The operating procedures which companies are obliged to follow dictate social distancing, cleansing and protective gear requirements.
“Inevitably this is likely to mean that not all activities will be able to continue at 100% of where they were previously, especially in areas of potential congestion,” said council spokesperson Charmane Russell.
“Constraints include conveyances, meeting areas, changing rooms. Even surface operations that are currently allowed to operate with 100% capacity are not doing so,” she said.
Underground mines are unable to work profitably at half their staffing levels and the industry has lobbied hard to return to full production as soon as possible, conducting intensive planning and preparations for returning mineworkers.
SA's borders are closed, meaning any miners who returned to neighbouring countries are unable to get back to work. However, there was probably a large number of these employees who had opted to stay in SA, making it difficult to calculate what percentage of the workforce would not return.
Mineworkers who are considered vulnerable to the virus would be the last to be recalled.
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