In a statement released on Monday, Harmony says the fatalities occurred as a result of a fall of ground incident at the Free State mine on Saturday. The mining company has launched an investigation into the incident and halted its operations temporarily. The incident has occurred just less than a month since a mineworker at Harmony’s Doornkop mine near Soweto in Gauteng, lost his life in what has been described as an “underground drilling-related incident”. This brings the tally at Harmony to an estimated 8 deaths in 2020 thus far. The other fatalities were reported at the Kusasalethu and Bambanani operations.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the mining company, Peter Steenkamp, has expressed his condolences to the loved ones and colleagues of the deceased, adding that they believe that “our proactive safety culture that has been reinforced through various initiatives is the responsibility of each and every one of our stakeholders at Harmony. We must all continue making every effort to ensure a safe working place and that we reach our goal of zero harm across all our operations”, says Steenkamp.

Earlier this year, Harmony acquired the Mponeng mine in South Gauteng considered the world’s deepest mine, buying out AngloGold Ashanti for over $300 million.  The deal received wide media coverage because the Mponeng mine located in Carletonville was deemed a risk as a result of its depth and the billions of rands needed to extend its lifespan. Anglo Gold said Harmony was identified as the most suitable party to acquire their assets due to its “financial capacity and proven technical capability in operating ultra-deep, hard-rock mining assets in South Africa”.

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