Friends and relatives of Someleze “Potsoi” Matywebe have been worried sick since he was hospitalised after injuring his legs in an accident that claimed 12 miners at Impala Platinum’s mine in Rustenburg on Monday this week.
They say he was returning from a shift but decided to work overtime after 1pm. Four hours later, a conveyance hoisting 86 employees to the surface at the end of their work day unexpectedly started descending rapidly before plunging to the ground at 11 shaft.
On Friday, Impala said 18 employees had been discharged from hospital.
“All employees involved in the accident were admitted to hospitals in the region for precautionary and emergency care. Four employees were discharged today and 14 yesterday. Of the 56 employees who are still in hospital, 10 remain in critical care. No further fatalities have been reported,” the company said in a statement.
On a visit to the site of the tragedy on Monday, Potsoi’s relatives and friends — who asked not to be identified — said they were worried he might not be able to work once he is discharged from hospital. They shared a picture downloaded from his phone.
“We don’t know if he will be himself again, this is not something we expected. The mine has been safe so far; nothing of this magnitude has ever happened. We are scared and worried about him. We don’t sleep well and don’t know what to do,” said a relative.
He said miners often dismiss the fear of being trapped underground or dying on duty.
“These are family men and, fear or not, they have to feed their families. Most of them who work at Impala are from the Eastern Cape. We have to deal with the pain of informing their loved ones.”
The relative said Potsoi had five children and a partner in Mqanduli village and they were extremely worried but did not have the means to get to the hospital.
“They rely on us for updates. We hope the mine does the right thing and compensates the families; it’s the least they can do. This is tragic,” he added.
A friend of Potsoi’s, who also works at the mine, said nothing could have prepared them for the incident.
“We’ve never felt unsafe on the belt before, it’s not something we thought of. His shift ended and he took overtime, that’s when this happened. We wish he didn’t go but those extra hours mean extra money. Our money is down there. When the mine says come back, we will.”
Another miner who works in care and maintenance said they can’t afford to stop work because they have the critical job of draining excess underground water that could cause operational hazards.
“I’ve worked here for years but I’ve never seen anything of like this. It’s painful and scary because you don’t go to work prepared to die. The few of us who are still on shift are scared for our lives, but we have to go on.”
Our money is down there. When the mine says come back, we will
— Mineworker
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has accused Impala of negligence. Its president Joseph Mathunjwa said the disaster could have been avoided.
“We have been calling for the amendment of the Mine Safety Act. We want these company bosses held accountable and charged with culpable homicide,” he said.
“These lifts need to be serviced regularly and the safety measures should be checked. For a lift of this magnitude to have all safety measures failing and crashing — who’s going to charge them because the politicians have interests in these mines?”
Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele called for stricter inspections.
“These CEOs pocket money and pay less attention to safety and security at the mines. These mines have been killing people, but CEOs and owners go scot free. These are repeat cases in some instances, and someone must be held accountable.”
Mphahlele said all 12 mineworkers who died were Amcu members. “We are talking about 12 people who lost their lives, it is not a situation we cherish. It is sad for the families, the organisation and the community. It is a disaster.”
Nathi Shabangu, minerals and energy minister Gwede Mantashe’s spokesperson, said the accident was regrettable.“This is a disaster for the industry. It is something we always work towards avoiding. However, when it happens it is regrettable. We convey our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wish those who were injured a speedy recovery.”
Shabangu said the inspectorate of mines was working with the industry on strengthening the protocols to protect underground workers from injuries and fatalities.
These CEOs pocket money and pay less attention to safety and security at the mines. These mines have been killing people, but CEOs and owners go scot free
— Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele
“We will continue working with the industry to ensure mineworkers return home safely. An investigation will take place at Impala and action will be taken. There is work being done to strengthen the Mine Health and Safety Act so that it empowers the enforcement arm of it, so we prioritise the health and safety of workers.”
Implats CEO Nico Muller described the accident as “the darkest day in the history of Implats”.
“Our hearts are heavy for the lives lost and the individuals affected by this devastating accident. We are deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of our colleagues and are ensuring all next of kin have been contacted.”
He said the mechanisms used to operate the conveyance system, and the safety protocols involved in arresting falls in such systems, are known to be safe and are used in mining operations globally.
“The failure of the arrest safety protocol is therefore unusual, highlighting the tragic nature of this accident. While we have a strong understanding of what happened, we are still investigating how it could have happened, and the answer to that question and other concerns may take some time to accurately establish. We are working closely with the relevant authorities and will provide additional updates when possible and appropriate.”
Before this accident there had been 41 fatalities reported on mines this year. Last year saw a record low of 49 deaths, down from 74 a year before.
On Friday, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said its health and safety leadership, both nationally and regionally, had been blocked from accessing the mine.
“NUM is not a recognised or a majority union at Impala Platinum, but it represents a lot of members at the mine. NUM is unhappy that since the accident happened on Monday evening, its health and safety leaders have been deliberately blocked by the company and its security from accessing the mine,” said NUM deputy president Phillip Vilakazi.
“NUM was not invited to participate in the in-loco inspection. The company is even refusing to give NUM the statistics as to how many [of its members] have died and those who are injured.”
