Central SA
Parliamentary committee to visit Kimberley after Ekapa mine body recovery─── ZENANDE MPAME 10:12 Tue, 10 Mar 2026
Members of parliament’s portfolio committee on mineral and petroleum resources will visit Kimberley on Tuesday (10/3) after the recovery of the body of one of the five trapped workers at the Ekapa Minerals mine.
Recovery operations for other four trapped miners are continuing. Kimberley detectives are investigating an inquest after the body of an adult male was recovered from the mine in Kimberley on Monday afternoon.
The miners were trapped 890m underground at the Dutoitspan Joint Shaft for the past three weeks. The company expressed condolences to the family of the deceased miner as well as to colleagues who worked alongside him.
Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul also extended his condolences to the family of the deceased miner. He expressed his gratitude to the rescue teams who continue to work tirelessly alongside Ekapa Minerals during this difficult operation.
‘The name of the miner will not be released at this time’
“At the request of the family, the name of the miner will not be released at this time,” the company said in a statement. “Crews are proceeding carefully as they work to reach areas where the remaining four miners were last reported to be working at the time of the incident.
“Mine rescue teams have been navigating unstable ground and flooded sections of the shaft, which have slowed progress in the search effort. The recovery marks the first confirmed casualty since the underground incident.”
Following an application for liquidation, the diamond mine closed with immediate effect on Wednesday, 25 February. The company said the decision was not taken lightly but was considered in the best interests of all stakeholders. It mentioned operational, financial, and safety factors as reasons for the closure.
The Ekapa Minerals mine will be under provisional liquidation until next Tuesday, when legal proceedings will continue in the High Court in Kimberley.
“This recovery brings to an end a painful period of uncertainty for the family,” said Saul. “The provincial government continues to keep all the affected families in its thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Saul announced assistance to the families in the form of R10,000 each and R3,000 food vouchers for workers affected by the liquidation. The total cost of this commitment to assist the families and workers is about R3.5m.
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