South African minister urges collaborative approach for mining sector safety

A collaborative approach by employers, workers and the government must be adopted to ensure safety in the mining sector, Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane said on Tuesday.

"Health and safety is the responsibility of employers, workers and government alike, and we must therefore continue to adopt a collaborative approach in dealing with this matter," Zwane said in Parliament while delivering his budget speech.

He disclosed that in the first four months this year, a total of 21 fatalities have occurred as a result of mine accidents.

In one accident at Lily Mine in Mpumalanga on February 5, three employees were trapped underground. A search operation has failed to retrieve their bodies, Zwane said.

The Department of Mineral Resources recently engaged with CEOs in the sector to see how to ensure a sustainable improvement in matters of health and safety in the remainder of the year, according to Zwane.

"They (the CEOs) have reaffirmed their commitment to the goal of zero harm and implement measures to ensure all workers return home unharmed every day," he said.

The department also continues to be greatly concerned about the health and safety of women workers, including the inhumane treatment they are sometimes subjected to by fellow workers in some of the mines, Zwane said, without giving details.

All the stakeholders need to ensure that there are effective interventions implemented at all mines to prevent intimidation and harassment of all mineworkers, he said.

"A critical factor in ensuring the sustainability of the mining industry is the health and safety of all mineworkers," the minister said.

Source: XINHUA