By: Creamer media

“Our immediate focus is to offer support to Ekapa’s management, the affected operation, its employees and their families. Finding the five people who are reported missing in the mud rush is the priority,” says Minerals Council CEO Mzila Mthenjane.

Minerals Council modernisation and safety senior executive Sietse van der Woude and safety and sustainable development head Dushendra Naidoo will be on site at the Ekapa mine to engage directly with mine management, Mine Rescue Services, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) and organised labour during this time.

The Minerals Council’s team will engage with all stakeholders to understand what caused the mud rush and to ensure that the learnings from this incident are shared with all its members to prevent a repetition of this incident.

The council emphasises that the management of the incident, including emergency response and investigations, remains the responsibility of the mine and the relevant authorities. The Minerals Council will not speculate on the causes while these processes are under way and refers all requests for comment on the incident to Ekapa and the DMPR.

The council reiterates its commitment to achieving the industry’s goal of zero harm and to continuously drive improvements in safety and health.