OPINION | We cannot build profitability on compromised lives

The retrieval of the first set of human remains fromEkapaMinerals Mine in Kimberley this week, after five mineworkers got trapped underground on February 17, is a moment of solemn significance. It hopefully marks the beginning of a dignified closure process for one grieving family and demonstrates what is possible when the government, mining companies and rescue teams work together with urgency and compassion. The four missing miners are presumed to have died.

The families of those miners deserve the same dignity — to have their loved ones returned to them. That commitment must not waver. SA’smining industryhas been built on the resilience, courage and unwavering commitment of men and women miners.

For junior mining companies in particular, the journey is marked by innovation, sacrifice and the constant pursuit of opportunity in a challenging economic climate. Yet, as we continue to unlock the country’s mineral wealth, health and safety must remain the non-negotiable foundation of our sector. The tragedy atLily Minein Mpumalanga, where three workers were trapped underground in 2016 and their bodies were never recovered, remains one of the darkest chapters in SA’s mining history.

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Families continue to wait for closure. Communities continue to carry the trauma. And the sector continues to bear the stain of a tragedy that should have been resolved long ago.

The failure to recover the bodies at Lily Mine represents a breakdown in coordination, accountability and urgency. As representatives of the junior mining sector, we believe the lessons of Lily Mine must shape our future. We cannot allow such a tragedy to fade into silence.

The recent recovery at Ekapa is therefore commendable. The efforts of the mineral and petroleum resources department, the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate, and all partners involved ensured that a family could begin the process of dignified closure. But accountability alone is not enough.

It must be visible and tangible. The mining sector must gravitate towards a culture where responsiveness and transparency are the norm, not the exception. In tragedies of this nature, effective collaboration between the mine operator, regulators, rescue services, labour and community structures is what determines the speed, transparency and dignity of the response.

I have consistently emphasised that junior miners are not asking for favours. We are asking for fairness, support and a regulatory environment that enables us to operate safely and sustainably.

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