Two mineworkers die at Northam Platinum

By Jurina Nkwazi
21 July 2010

The National Union of Mineworkers says it is concerned at the unnecessary deaths of two workers in the Northam platinum mine near Rustenburg. The workers died due to a fall of ground.

The National Union of Mineworkers(NUM) has condemned Northam Platinum ‘s attitude in going the extra mile to hide the accident from the NUM branch.

Num spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka says Northam Platinum made an attempt to cover up the incident. This latest ground fall brings the number of deaths underground this year to 70, despite repeated calls by the union for improvements to be made to safety in South Africa’s mines.

Companies and Executives that attempts to hide mine deaths in order to score safety bonuses will face hefty penalties and measures.

The number of mineworkers who lost their lives in the South African mining industry since January 2010 now stands at 70.

The NUM’s Chairperson for Health and Safety, Peter Bailey says “It is shocking that the 70 that died is what the Chamber of Mines calls safety progress.”