Urgent probe into Sibanye deaths

In-depth report being compiled ‘to avoid knee-jerk reaction’

THE ACTING chief inspector of mines was compiling a report on all accidents that occurred at Sibanye-Stillwater mining operations since the beginning of this year, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said yesterday.

“This will enable us to take appropriate action, guided by the Mine Health and Safety Act, as opposed to a knee-jerk reaction,” he told journalists at a media briefing in Pretoria.

“To date, Sibanye-Stillwater operations are responsible for 20 of the 45 fatalities reported since the beginning of the year. It therefore cannot be business as usual in how the regulator attends to this situation,” he said.

There would be an update once the report was completed, and that the matter was receiving urgent and serious attention, Mantashe said.

“We wish to reiterate our commitment that mining is about people.”

Turning to an incident reported to the ministry concerning the Mpumalanga regional office, Mantashe said it appeared that section 54 of the Mine Health and Safety Act had been abused, wherein an official allegedly issued notices and demanded financial compensation in return for their lifting. The official in question was suspended pending the conclusion of the investigation, he said.

He added that where there was evidence of a crime being committed the matter would be referred to law enforcement agencies for action. At present, the investigative team was consolidating its report of findings and recommendations on the Mpumalanga regional office.

The team would submit its report to the ministry in the next few days. Once the team had completed its work in Mpumalanga, it would proceed to Limpopo and then North West, he said.

“Regarding Limpopo, as an urgent intervention, we have suspended with immediate effect the administrative operations of that office. We took this decision after an incident in which staff were threatened and a bullet was sent to the regional manager inside an envelope.

“We are, therefore, advising all our clients that all administrative-related matters will be handled from the head office in Pretoria,” he said.