Central SA
Ekapa Minerals under provisional liquidation as rescue mission continues─── ZENANDE MPAME 16:00 Wed, 04 Mar 2026
The Ekapa Minerals mine in Kimberley will be under provisional liquidation until Tuesday, 17 March, when legal proceedings continue in the High Court.
It has been two full weeks since five mine workers have been trapped 890m underground following a mud slide. Rescue teams have entered the second phase of loading stones and mud, and will soon get to the miners.
The mine said they are communicating with families through the subcontractor who employed the men who are trapped due to a mud rush. It also said it has made progress on the recovery operation, but can’t give a timeline on the recovery of the bodies as the process is safety-driven.
Family members of the workers trapped underground have blamed the mine owners and government for not updating them on the operation to rescue their loved ones.
‘None of them has ever contacted the family’
In an interview with eNCA, one of the family members said, “None of them has ever contacted the family or spoken to us or anything. It’s been a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of heartbreak and crying, and it’s very frustrating at this moment because of the lack of answers.”
Meanwhile, Kimberley residents have rallied to assist around 1,200 Ekapa Minerals employees who were left jobless and without salaries after the company applied for liquidation.
Anyone who wishes to contribute can contact Northern Cape High School, Diamantveld High School, Diamantveld Primary School, Venus Primary School, Kimberley Girls' High School, Adamantia High School, West End Primary School, Kiddies Heaven, Staats Primary School, or Kimberley Islamic School to drop off donations.
Food parcels will be distributed to the families at the Kimberley Rugby Club.
Northern Cape premier Zamani Saul said he is very sad that those miners have still not been rescued or recovered. “It could be one of the two, a rescue or a recovery mission. We still direct our prayers to the affected families.”
“And we hope that through our prayers they will be strengthened through these difficult times. It should be extraordinarily difficult times for those affected.”
The Kimberley diamond mine shut down with immediate effect on Wednesday (25/2) after applying for liquidation. The company said the decision was not taken lightly but was considered in the best interests of all stakeholders.
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