Chamber recommits to worker safety

THE South African mining industry remembered 20 mineworkers who died in a mudslide at the Rovic Diamond Mine in the Free State more than two decades ago.

The Chamber of Mines and its members said that they were committed to a journey to Zero Harm and to ensuring every mineworker returns from work unharmed every day. On November 27, 1996, a mudslide occurred 1 000m underground at the Rovic Diamond Mine in the Free State, claiming 20 lives.

Another two were badly injured, and 54 had been in serious danger. The bodies of 16 men were never recovered, having been buried under thousands of tons of mud.

The inquest and post-disaster trial lasted for 16 months and only reached a conclusion in October 1998. The trial resulted in the owners and managers of Rovic, along with three senior managers, being prosecuted for culpable homicide for the deaths.

The inquest also made recommendations which addressed not only the prevention of this type of disaster in the future, but set a benchmark for how companies should react in the event that such an incident reoccurred.

Especially important was the need for all documentation and records to be handed over to the relevant government department within 48 hours of an incident, to avoid tampering or withholding of evidence – something which unfortunately did happen in the Rovic case. – ANA