South Africa Mines Minister To Meet Platinum CEOs On Safety

14th Jul 2010 17:59

By Robb M. Stewart Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES JOHANNESBURG (Dow Jones)--South Africa's mineral resources minister said Wednesday she will meet with the chief executives of platinum producers to discuss mine health and safety in light of an accident last week in which five workers were killed by falling rock. Susan Shabangu said the government won't tolerate "inferior" safety measures and would act firmly against companies that put mineworkers' lives at risk. She also said shareholders would have to take some responsibility. "I want organized labor, business and government...to revisit health and safety standards and I urge all parties to co-operate," Shabangu said during a memorial service in Rustenburg, west of Pretoria. Thousands of employees of Murray & Roberts Cementation, the contractor that employed the workers killed last week, put down their tools in a day of mourning Wednesday, the National Union of Mineworkers said. The union has sworn to halt work for a day to mark mining fatalities and put pressure on companies, while the government regularly suspends operations to conduct safety inspections after a mineworker dies on the job. "Our people are more important than production and that is the most important message we are sending to employers," said Lazarus Ditshwene, the union's regional chairman in Rustenburg. Five workers were killed July 6 at Aquarius Platinum Ltd.'s (AQP.AU) Marikana mine, the worst accident in the Bermuda-registered company's history in South Africa. Aquarius has said it appears a 500-metric-ton slab of rock fell from a wall in the mine's 4 Shaft on to the workers. Shabangu said she would meet platinum company chief executives Thursday to discuss safety. "It is not enough call the CEOs of these companies," she said in the text of a speech. "The shareholders, those who benefit from the profits, must also account for what is happening at their mines." She said she wants the mining industry to ensure new technologies were developed and used to improve safety standards, and she has called on mine health and safety inspectors to fast-track the finalization of investigations and inquiries. According to government figures, there were 65 mining fatalities between the start of the year and July 7 compared with 84 in the same period last year. The current figure includes 16 deaths in platinum mines and 34 in gold operations. South Africa is the world's leading producer of platinum, accounting for more than 75% of global supplies. Anglo Platinum Ltd. (AMS.JO), Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (IMP.JO) and Lonmin PLC (LMI.LN) are the largest producers of the metal worldwide. -By Robb M. Stewart, Dow Jones Newswires; +27 11 783 7848; [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 14, 2010 12:59 ET (16:59 GMT)