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9 February, 2009
ICEM’s largest affiliate in Africa, South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), last week welcomed the release of the Presidential Safety Audit by the Department of Minerals and Energy. As reported by the ICEM (click here) there had been a significant delay in the publication of the report.
The NUM criticized the industry for using the report to misrepresent conditions as acceptable. A shocking figure to emerge from the report was that 100 cases against mine bosses have been allowed to collect in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), with no progress. This alarming evidence of justice being blocked for those responsible for deaths of miners has angered the NUM.
NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni
“This is very worrying that the NPA can allow criminality to take place without any proper action,” said NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni. “It is worrying that in cases where action has taken place, companies have been fined between R2,500 (US$260) to R5,000 (US$520) for negligently claiming the life of mineworkers.”
The audits were conducted in 355 mines across the country, under 12 categories. Gold and coal mines were the safest at 70%, followed by platinum and diamond mines at 67% and 66%, respectively.
The long-awaited report describes worrying trends, including poor hazard identification and risk assessment processes, slow reporting of accidents, failure to submit occupational hygiene returns and others.
NUM & ICEM President, Senzeni Zokwana
The audits were ordered by former President Thabo Mbeki after 3,200 workers were trapped deep underground at gold producer Harmony Gold's Elandsrand mine in October 2007, when a falling pipe damaged mine shaft infrastructure. Miraculously, all 3,200 miners were rescued after some 38 hours.
Senzeni Zokwana, NUM President and also President of the ICEM, said the union has zero tolerance for mine fatalities. "No condition should justify why a worker should lose a life."