The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will write to Mineral Resources Minister, Gwede Mantashe requesting that he holds Sibanye Stillwater accountable for recurring fatal incidents at its mining operations.
The DA says Mantashe should take urgent steps against the company through the Mining Health and Safety Inspectorate.
In the latest developments at Sibanye’s mine near Cartonville, the bodies of all seven mineworkers who were trapped underground after a seismic event have been retrieved.
Thirteen mineworkers were trapped 3km underground on Thursday. Six other mineworkers are recovering in hospital.
The party says the company chose to continue operations despite clear evidence of seismic activity in the area.
The DA says it is unacceptable that mining management failed to take active steps to prevent this accident from happening, instead chose to continue with mining operations despite clear evidence of seismic activity in the area.
The DA is concerned that Sibanye Stillwater has not accounted for most of the mining accidents that have occurred in the mining industry in the past few months.
They say the safety of miners cannot be put at risk in the pursuit of profit.
