The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources is outraged by the accident at Sibanye Gold mine in Free State where about 950 workers are trapped underground, following power outage due to the storm.

Although appreciating the reality that a storm is a course of nature, the Committee strongly believes that a caring management, that values the lives of its workers, should have anticipated the possibility of power outage as well as the consequences and devised a backup plan.

“It is utterly unacceptable that an underground mine whose operation takes place under the light of a bulb could attribute its failure to bringing workers on the surface to power outage. This goes to demonstrate the attitude of management towards safety,” said Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, Chairperson of the Committee.

The Committee expects a better and decent explanation on this accident and would like to urge the Department of Mineral Resources to act swiftly and take drastic actions to such acts of carelessness.  

For now, the Committee hopes and whishes that all workers be brought to the surface well and alive.