More than 5,000 miners gathered at the Vaal Reefs No. 8 sports grounds on Thursday morning, to mourn the life of a miner claimed by seismic activity, at the Moab Khotsong mine, near Orkney.
Reports claim he is 55-year- old John Ditterline.
Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (“Harmony” and/or “the Company”) confirmed the incident occurred on Sunday and said its management would support the family and affected employees.
Beyers Nel, Chief Executive Officer of Harmony, said “we are deeply saddened by this tragic loss of life. Nothing is more important than the safety of our people. We are committed to fully understanding the circumstances of this incident, learning from it and strengthening our efforts to prevent a recurrence.”
Speaking at the memorial on Thursday, Masibulele Naki, National Secretary for Health and Safety, for NUM, called for urgent interventions to safeguard workers’ lives underground.
”Our members cannot continue to sacrifice their lives beneath the surface while early warning systems and fall-of-ground protocols fall short,” said Naki.
Picture: Supplied