Reuters reports that SA’s mines recorded 32 deaths in the first half of 2021 compared with 24 during the same period in 2020, continuing a spike in deaths which began last year.

With the death toll last year up around 18%, the sector has seen a regression in safety from a record low in 2019. “We are still greatly concerned that we are still experiencing these accidents,” said Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s chief inspector of mines David Msiza. “In 2021 we are seeing a worsening of the fatality trend, this is not acceptable to the Minerals Council and our members,” commented Nolitha Fakude, president of the Minerals Council SA (previously known as the Chamber of Mines). Mining injuries during the first of this year also rose to 1,066 from 679 during the same period a year earlier. Msiza noted that the Covid-19 lockdown meant mines were not operating at full capacity in 2020. Rock fall incidents including seismic events remained a significant challenge for the platinum and the gold sectors, while transport related accidents mostly affected the coal and platinum sectors. Government and industry said they were working on improving the fatality record by addressing behavioural changes, the impact of the pandemic, technology development and ensuring there were enough rock engineers and seismic experts.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tanisha Heiberg at Moneyweb

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