Report any unethical behaviour or gender-based intimidation and violence
Ons onthou en gee om; Siyanakekela futhi siyakhumbula; Rea gopola ebile rea kgathala; Siyakhathalela, siyakhumbula
The date 21 January 1960 remains etched in the minds of hundreds of families, members of the mining community and South Africans as one of the definitive historical moments in the country’s history.
Today we remember the events at Merriespruit, where on 22 February 1994 a disaster struck the people of this mining town.
At 00:45 on 24 February 1994, an underground fire at Gloria Colliery, Koornfontein, Mpumalanga, resulted in 33 mineworkers being trapped some 180m underground – 17 employees who made their way to a refuge bay were rescued; tragically, 16 employees died in the incident.
At 18:30 on 9 April 1987, a methane gas explosion at the Tafelkop Shaft at Ermelo Mines, east of Johannesburg, claimed the lives of 34 mine workers and injured 17. One mineworker passed away a week later in hospital, bringing the total number of deceased to 35.
10 May 1995 is a date that will forever be etched in the minds of families of the 104 mineworkers who lost their lives in the Vaal Reefs mine disaster, and of their colleagues and the industry as a whole.
On 13 May 1993 a methane gas explosion 130 metres below the surface at Sasol Mining’s Middelbult colliery near Secunda, starting an underground fire that resulted in the death of 53 mineworkers dead. A further seven employees were injured.
On this day, 23 years ago, 18 miners lost their lives to rockfalls as earth tremors shook the Hartebeestfontein gold mine near the North West Province town of Klerksdorp.
It was just before midnight on Thursday, 29 July 1999 that a methane gas explosion claimed the lives of 19 miners at Mponeng, the world’s deepest gold mine. And while we bow our heads in mourning the men’s untimely deaths, our distress is leavened by the knowledge that 20 men were brought to surface safe and sound.
Violence triggered by escalating labour unrest at Lonmin’s Marikana mine resulted in the death of 44 people between 12 and 16 August 2012 in what has come to be known as the Marikana tragedy. Of the 44 people who died, 34 were shot by police on 16 August while 10 people, including security guards, mineworkers and police officers, were killed between 12 and 14 August.
On 31 August 1987, a methane gas explosion at the St Helena gold mine in Welkom caused a mine elevator to plunge 1.4km to the bottom of the mine shaft, claiming the lives of 62 people. These miners were being transported in a double-deck elevator to begin a morning shift at the mine’s No 10 shaft. More than 300 miners who were in the shaft at the time of the explosion managed to escape by working their way through tunnels leading to other shafts.
Today, the Minerals Council South Africa and our country’s coal industry will remember the 64 miners who lost their lives in a methane explosion at the Hlobane colliery near the town of Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal. The explosion that tore through the mine was South Africa’s second most deadly colliery disaster.
On this day in 1986, 34 years ago, 177 miners lost their lives and another 235 were injured in what would be remembered as one of South Africa’s worst mining disasters.
On 27 November 1996, a mudslide occurred 1,000m underground at the Rovic diamond mine (between Boshof and Dealsville in the Free State), claiming the lives of 20 people. Another two people were badly injured, and 54 had been in serious danger. The bodies of 16 men were never recovered, having been buried under thousands of tons of mud.
President: Mxolisi Mgojo
Vice President: Neal Froneman
Vice President: Zanele Matlala
Vice President: Steve Phiri
Vice President: Andile Sangqu
Enter your details in order to register
Subscribe Unsubscribe
Free call: 0800 022 007 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Free fax: 0800 00 77 88
Telephone: +27 11 498 7100 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Fax: +27 11 834 1884
Address: 5 Hollard Street, Johannesburg PO Box 61809, Marshalltown 2107