Mine put ‘profit before lives’

THE death of four miners has been blamed on a shift manager accused of putting profit before lives.

It is alleged the employees were forced to work in an abandoned underground stope that killed their colleagues, choked by gas and poor ventilation.

These allegations emerged yesterday following Monday’s incident at Sibanye Gold’s Kloof Ikamva shaft in Westonaria, west of Joburg.

Four bodies have since been retrieved. The fifth miner has not been accounted for.

Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) said Sibanye Gold operations have become killing fields.

“The union questions why a manager allegedly forced employees to go underground even though the Mineral Resources Department reportedly issued an order to stop production.

‘‘The shaft in question was reportedly ordered to be closed in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act related to excessive temperature and inadequate ventilation,” said Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa.

Company spokesperson Thabile Phumo said the ban was only for a specific area in the shaft.

The area where the bodies were found was not sealed off, but there was a ventilation wall that prevented anyone from entering it, she said.

“The workers went into the area led by the team’s supervisor.

“We will interview the safety rep who refused to go in.”

Several miners from Shaft 4 where the incident took place blamed their supervisors for allegedly bending the laws. They claimed that two weeks ago another crew had refused to work in the same stope.

The crew’s supervisor and overseer were suspended as a result and a new crew was brought in on Monday.

National Union of Mineworkers health and safety committee chairperson Peter Bailey said: “This company accounts for 19 of the 45 miner deaths this year.

“They can’t explain why those workers ended up in an abandoned stope. Clearly someone sent them there.”