The Minerals Council says mining fatalities are largely driven by specific kinds of accidents.
The Minerals Council’s provisional figures indicate the death toll on South Africa’s mines rose 18 percent in 2020, driven by accidents related to falling rocks and transportation.
The industry had recorded 58 fatalities by 14 December 2020 compared to 49 deaths during the same period the previous year. The council, which is South Africa’s main mining body, recorded a total of 51 deaths in 2019, the lowest fatality rate since records began a century ago.
The council said rock fall incidents had more impact in the gold and platinum sector, while transport related accidents were mainly experienced in the platinum and coal sectors.
Via a virtual conference, Minerals Council president Mxolisi Mgojo said, “That we recorded an increase in fatal accidents in 2020, this despite shutdowns and reduced operations during the early stages of lockdown, is extremely disappointing to us.”
According to the industry body’s latest data, the mines have reported 286 Covid-19 related deaths and 27,316 cases of infection.
South African mines are some of the deepest in the world and the high fatalities and low safety record are a concern for investors, and result in lower valuations of their operating companies compared with global peers.
