Impala Platinum (Implats) has suspended mining activities at its Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine, which forms part of the Impala Bafokeng operations in the North West province, due to an illegal protest.
The miner said on Monday afternoon that it was closely monitoring an illegal underground protest that began earlier in the day at the North and South shafts of the mine.
All employees have been recalled from the underground working areas; however, about 2,200 were still underground, with the motivation and demands of the protest still to be determined, Implats said.
“[We] have notified the relevant authorities and mobilised emergency measures to safeguard the health and safety of all who may be participating voluntarily, or who may have been forced to remain underground against their will,” the platinum miner said.
The occurrence of illegal underground protests and “copycat illegal actions” at mining operations in SA, said Implats, have become more prevalent in recent months and are a cause for concern for the broader mining industry.
“These co-ordinated protest actions pose serious safety concerns for our employees, not just due to the provision of basic nutrition, hydration and ablution facilities, but also the risk to personal safety should the protest action escalate into hostage situations or result in physical violence,” said Implats.
Earlier in December about 440 mineworkers were allegedly held hostage and assaulted during an illegal underground protest at Gold One mine in Springs on the East Rand in Gauteng.
Criminal and internal disciplinary investigations are under way following the Gold One protest which took place less than two months after about 560 miners were allegedly held hostage at the same mine. This protest followed a labour law dispute between the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union and Gold One’s management about recognition rights.
Implats said on Monday these illegal protests posed a risk to the financial sustainability of the mining industry.
“The longer-term impacts of these acts pose a risk to sustainable employment, particularly given the low metal price environment currently facing platinum group metal producers.”
Earlier in December Implats suffered a tragic accident at its Impala Rustenburg 11 shaft — which accounts for 15% of annual production — when 13 employees lost their lives after a conveyance system failure.
Implats previously said the shaft where this accident occurred will be out of action for the foreseeable future.
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