Business Times reports that Impala Platinum (Implats) says its 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.
Implats spokesperson Johan Theron said the full impact of the closure would depend on how long the shaft remained shut. An internal investigation is under way to establish 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. On Tuesday, Implats held a memorial service for the 13 employees who died in the accident. The first funerals were held this past weekend, while others are planned for the coming week. “Everybody is trying to understand what happened and why – nobody more than [Implats. Everybody understands these conveyance systems are used globally and extensively. They are safe,” Theron said. National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesperson Luphert Chilwane accused Implats of being negligent about maintenance. “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 claimed.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Business Times (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page