MINERAL Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has announced that a commission of inquiry into the accident that claimed the lives of 11 mine workers at Impala Platinum mine would be established.
Mantashe was speaking at a media briefing in Rustenburg on Tuesday afternoon, 28 November.
11 mine workers were killed and 75 injured when the cable of a cage that was bringing them up to the surface overnight snapped and crashed down the shaft on Monday evening, 27 November.
It's reported that nine workers are in ICU. All operations at shaft 11 have since suspended.
Mantashe said emotions must not be used to deal with this tragedy.
"There is going to be an investigation and inquiry. The right area to give evidence is in that investigation and that inquiry," said Mantashe.
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"If you give evidence now, you can as well use that evidence as a defence mechanism and actually repel everybody else. Everybody must interact with the information in the inquiry because otherwise, the union says this is what happened, and then evidence proves something else," he said.
Mantashe said the government will facilitate the process, and the company will provide evidence.
"That system of inquiry is a norm in mining. We are going to do what is prescribed by law in the mining industry," he said.
Meanwhile, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), wants "negligent" mine bosses to be charged with culpable homicide in cases of workers dying while on-site.
AMCU is the only recognised union at the Impala mine.
Speaking at the briefing, AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa emphasised the need for serious consequences for companies neglecting worker safety.
"AMCU has been calling for the amendment of the Mine Health and Safety Act for these company bosses to be really accountable, especially to be charged with culpable homicide. Some of these accidents are repeated and are accidents that could have been avoided," Mathunjwa stated during the briefing.
