The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy has welcomed the vaccination of more than 120 000 mineworkers, or about 20% of the sector’s employees, against Covid-19.
Collectively, the sector employs about 452 000 workers.
The committee was on August 25 briefed by the Minerals Council South Africa on statistics relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, the management of Covid-19 and the vaccination process in the mining sector.
The committee further welcomed a commitment from the council to reach a vaccination target of 80% by the end of September, alongside welcoming the council’s commitment to make available its unused health centres as quarantine facilities.
Although noting the challenge of vaccination apathy and misinformation, the committee encouraged the council to accelerate the vaccination of mineworkers in order to move to the second phase of vaccinating mining communities and those living in labour-sending towns.
The committee also called on government to intensify communication about the importance of vaccination and address the myths around the so-called “vaccine passport”.