Mining industry records lowest number of deaths in 2024, but doesn’t include zama zamas

Death and injury in South Africa’s mines are at an all-time low, says Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe.

His department gave a presentation on Thursday outlining the health and safety statistics across one of the country’s key industries.

The long-term goal of the mining industry is the ultimate aim of zero physical harm to mine workers, as well as improving the mental health aspects of the profession.

Lowest ever fatality rate

The industry employs roughly 480 000 mine workers, of which over 300 000 were contract workers.

The mining industry recorded 42 fatalities in 2024, which was down from 55 the previous year, with 49 registered in 2022.

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Breaking down each sector, gold mines saw the loss of 11 lives, platinum recorded 19 fatalities and coal registered six. The remaining sectors recorded a combined total of six.

Mantashe said no disasters occurred last year, explaining that a disaster qualifies as an accident that featured the loss of five or more lives.

The overall injury rate was down 16% from the previous year, with the presentation noting most accidents occur between 10am and noon.

Miner health improving

Chief Inspector of Mines David Msiza said South Africa had the deepest and most complex mines in the world, with working areas up to 10km from the main shaft.  

Msiza said the department is constantly reviewing the technical reports to improve safety.

He noted that evaluated miners showed a 10% improvement in the number of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases, with all mineral sectors down, with the exception of diamonds.

Likewise, all sectors improved their number of hearing loss cases, with the diamond sector improving by 57%. Msiza chalked this up to the purchasing of quieter machinery.

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Msiza’s presentation 11.5% of miners had HIV in 2015, which had decreased to 5.8% in the most recent year.

Of those, 47% of the roughly 200 miners with TB also had HIV.

The department has aimed to increase the number of female miners in recent years, with 72 000 women now employed.

Illegal mining not considered

Neither Mantashe nor Msiza elaborated on the current developments in Stilfontein, which the minister labelled a “crime scene”.

Mantashe firmly stated that illegal mining activities were not considered when compiling the statistics or research.

“We remain convinced that illegal mining is not a mining activity but a criminal activity, and it is a war on the economy,” said Mantashe.

The minister said the illegal precious metals trade amounts to an estimated R60 billion and is “a leakage on the economy”.

Saying the department wished to break the syndicates, he blamed mines that were not forced to rehabilitate and added that illegal miners who chose to starve themselves were not the responsibility of the state.

Mantashe used an analogy when questioned on his department’s effectiveness in dealing with illegal mining.

“Would you give the responsibility of dealing with cash heists to the minister of finance? No, because it is a criminal activity, it is dealt with by police,” Mantashe said.

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