Mineral Resources Minister Ms Susan Shabangu (MP) has again expressed her condolences to the families of the deceased, and called for a speedy and thorough investigation into the incident which occurred at Eskom’s Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme site near Ladysmith yesterday.
The incident, which claimed the lives of six workers and injured seven, has raised concerns on the safety measures at the site.
The department's officials, led by Director-General Dr Thibedi Ramontja and the Chief Inspector of Mines, Mr David Msiza, are on site and have commenced with the comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the accident and propose remedial action.
“We are deeply concerned about what happened, and we must get to the bottom of this matter as quickly as possible. A loss of just one life is one loss too many.
We cannot compromise on the safety of workers,” Minister Shabangu said.
The Minister expressed concern that there has already been a fatality at Ingula this year, before this most recent incident, hence the need to give the investigation urgent attention.
“Although it is still too early to determine when the investigation will be concluded, the department will expedite and prioritise the process,” the Minister added.
The Minister has wished those injured and in hospital a speedy recovery.
Note to editors: In terms of Government regulation, and a MoU signed between the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and the Department of Labour (DoL), all incidents above the surface are the responsibility of the DoL, while all those below the surface are the DMR’s responsibility.
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