Fifty-one people died in our mines last year, compared to 81 in 2017.

But the Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has warned that companies rushing to profit from higher commodity prices are compromising safety.

Low gold prices led to fewer deaths at goldmines while more platinum mineworkers died due to improved platinum prices in 2018. 

Mantashe wants mining companies to stop profiting from high commodity prices.

“It is automatic to go and run for mining pillars and open closed sections. You are rushing into that. Our view is that a discussion should be opened in the industry to say that when the price of the commodity is down, let's invest in a mineable phase,” he said.

But the Minerals Council says behaviour, not prices, has more influence on the industry's safety record.

The platinum sector's majority union, Amcu, says companies are still prioritising profit over workers and should invest in making their operations safer.

“Every price should be measured with the safety. If they make more profit, there must be a huge budget for safety. But if they make profit and they don't contribute much to safety and research, that means we are going to face more fatalities,” said Amcu president, Joseph Mathunjwa.

eNCA