Impala Platinum says its Impala Rustenburg 11 shaft — which accounts for 15% of annual production, and where 13 employees lost their lives after a conveyance system failure a week ago — will be out of action for the foreseeable future.
Impala spokesperson Johan Theron said the full impact of the closure would depend on how long the shaft remained shut.
“It does not mean we are going to lose 15% of production — it just means 11 shaft’s contribution is 15% and, depending on how long it's going to be impacted, that will progressively accumulate. If it is out for six months, the impact will be 7.5% of production; if it is out for three months, it will be 3.5%; and if it is out for a month, it will be 1%,” he said.
An internal investigation is under way to get to the bottom of how a conveyance cage hoisting 86 miners to the surface suddenly plummeted.
On Thursday, 45 employees were still in hospital, including six in a critical condition.
“We will need the regulator — the department of mineral resources & energy [DMRE] — to check everything and give us the go-ahead to conduct the investigation and effect the necessary repairs. The employees need to receive counselling,” Theron said.
On Tuesday, Impala held a memorial service for the 13 employees who died in the accident. The first funerals will be held this weekend, while others are planned for the coming week.
“Everybody is trying to understand what happened and why — nobody more than [Impala]. Everybody understands these conveyance systems are used globally and extensively. They are safe,” Theron said.
National Union of Mineworkers spokesperson Luphert Chilwane said the injuries and fatalities would have been worse if the accident had occurred during an earlier shift.
“The number of deceased has increased from 11 to 13,” he said. “We expect the numbers to keep increasing because there were serious injuries. Some comrades on that side are saying if that incident happened during the morning shift we would be talking about something terrible. The morning shift has more employees compared to the night shift.”
He said the goal should be zero fatalities in mines.
“We want to see no mineworkers dying underground. These companies must invest in technology to detect danger inside, underground or on the surface. We are talking about seismic events.”
Chilwane accused Impala of being negligent about maintenance. He urged the DMRE to amend the health and safety regulations so that mining houses took responsibility for fatalities.
“There should be a daily assessment to ensure everyday equipment is safe to be used underground. We see there was negligence on the part of Impala [and] the company responsible for maintaining the lifts,” he said.
“We want to see every mining company in South Africa where there is an injury or fatality held responsible, and they should be charged with culpable homicide. No-one is going to be held accountable for that, but they must.”
The DMRE said it was serious about enforcing compliance with the Mine Health and Safety Act and associated regulations.
“The DMRE continues to call on all stakeholders to work together to ensure that each employee in South Africa’s mining sector returns home unharmed every day. The health and safety of mineworkers remains a key priority for the government, as we tirelessly work towards achieving zero harm in South African mines,” said spokesperson Makhosonke Buthelezi.
The department said chief inspector of mines David Msiza issued a directive to employers in the mining industry in September instructing them to come up with health and safety improvement plans from October 1 to December 31. The plans had to include initiatives to raise health and safety awareness and alertness during the high-risk period leading to the festive season.
The Minerals Council South Africa said it had several interventions in progress, including work it is doing to assist the industry to gain a better perspective on risk factors and implement control measures.
“We continuously drive the adoption of leading practices for the primary focus areas, including falls of ground, transport and machinery, [and] noise and dust,” the council said.
Asked whether the law should require that mine managers be held accountable for injuries and fatalities on duty, the council said the Mine Health and Safety Act provided clear guidance on rights and responsibilities.
“The industry has experienced a dreadful tragedy and apportioning blame at this stage is, we believe, not the right thing to do,” it said.
“The right thing to do is for all stakeholders — including the government, unions and companies — to work collaboratively to sustain the improvements achieved in recent years and move towards achieving our goal of zero harm.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.