Mantashe: Mine related fatalities decreasing
Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe says mine related fatalities, injuries and illness are on a downward trend.
He says in 2024 he saw the lowest ever number of deaths with 42 people losing their lives in mining industry-related incidents.
"This represents a 24% improvement, year-on-year, compared to 2023 when we had 55 fatalities in the mining industry. Remember in 2022 we had 49."
Delivering the 2024 mine health and safety statistics in Pretoria on Thursday, Mantashe said most of the recorded fatalities occurred at gold mines.
He said there were no disaster accidents reported last year compared to the one disaster in 2023.
He said most of the recorded mine fatalities happened at gold mines.
"Gold recorded 11 fatalities compared to 20 in 2023.9. In platinum, 18 were recorded compared to 22 in 2023.Six fatalities in the coal sector compared to 7 in 2023, which is a year-on-year 14% decrease. Six fatalities for the category of other mines, compared to six in 2023, this category of other mines includes diamonds, chrome, copper, zinc, sand, lime, granite, manganese, nickel and bricks,” said Mantashe.
Mantashe said there were no disaster accidents reported last year, compared to the one disaster in 2023.
"And everything recorded disaster in mining is when one accident takes life of five and more workers, we describe that as a disaster. There was no such accidents which we would define as a disaster."
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