JOHANNESBURG (mininweekly.com) – The South African mining industry claimed three more lives on Tuesday, pushing the number of mine fatalities to over 70 for the year.

Northam Platinum reported the death of two of its employees at its Zondereinde division in the North West province, and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said that a loco driver had died at Gold Fields' Driefontein gold mine.

The JSE-listed Northam said that initial investigations by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and union representatives, indicated that the accident was the result of a fall-of-ground in a cross-cut some 1 350 m underground.

The area had been supported with grouted roofbolts.

The DMR has had ongoing discussions over the past two weeks with platinum companies operating in the North West province after several fatalities were recorded in separate fall-of-ground accidents.

NUM spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said, in a statement announcing the Driefontein loco death, that the union was concerned that the Chamber of Mines had been "boasting" about progress made on mine deaths over the past decade, when the country's mining industry was "still miles away" from its target of zero fatality.

"The union fully supports the Department of Mineral Resources efforts in ensuring that companies do not get away with murder," he said.

The NUM called on the country's mining industry to reprioritise safety at a time when some mines had decided to contest safety measurers in the name of production.

"We note with shock Aquarius Platinum's shameless stance of crying foul over production when five families have lost their loved ones on its Marikana mine," commented the NUM in light of Aquarius' appeal against the new safety-directive released by the DMR.

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