NUM condemns continued fatalities at Sibanye-Stillwater: calls for urgent accountability and decisive enforcement following fatal fall-of ground incident at Hlanganani shaft

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) strongly condemns the ongoing loss of life in the mining sector and reiterates that it will not tolerate a situation where mineworkers continue to die while critical safety failures remain unaddressed.

This follows the tragic death of a mineworker on Friday, 9 October 2026, as a result of a fall-of-ground incident at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Hlanganani Shaft. Every mining fatality is an unacceptable tragedy that demands immediate answers, decisive action, and institutional accountability.

The NUM extends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased mineworker, standing in unwavering solidarity with all workers impacted by this devastating event.

The recurring pattern of fall-of-ground fatalities at Sibanye-Stillwater operations underscore the urgent necessity for comprehensive intervention. The union demands the immediate implementation of robust, preventive measures across the sector, including:

• Rigorous Ground Control Management: Conducting comprehensive assessments, installing adequate support, and enforcing continuous geotechnical monitoring to eliminate rockfall hazards.

• Strict Statutory Compliance: Ensuring employers scrupulously adhere to the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) and its accompanying regulations.

• Empowered Worker Participation: Guaranteeing that elected health and safety representatives and organized labor actively participate in hazard identification, risk assessments, and remedial oversight.

• Proactive Oversight and Supervision: Identifying and mitigating dangerous conditions before they result in injury or death.

• Protection of Statutory Rights: Safeguarding mineworkers against victimization when reporting hazards or exercising their legal right to withdraw from dangerous working environments.

• Enforcement of Inquiry Recommendations: Ensuring findings from previous investigations translate directly into binding, monitored operational changes—particularly at sites with repeated fall-of-ground incidents.

The NUM calls on the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), through the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate, to launch an immediate, independent, and exhaustive investigation into the circumstances of the 9 October fatality.

The Inspectorate must:

1. Conduct an in-depth probe and communicate findings transparently in accordance with statutory obligations. 

2. Establish whether the employer fulfilled all mandatory health and safety duties. 

3. Institute swift, decisive enforcement and punitive action where negligence or regulatory non-compliance is identified. 

4. Verify that verified corrective measures are implemented before operations proceed.

5. Exercise its statutory authority to halt operations where conditions compromise worker safety. 

Regulatory inspections and investigations cannot serve as mere post-mortem administrative routines; they must generate substantive, measurable improvements that preserve human life. The NUM urges Sibanye-Stillwater executive leadership to cooperate fully with the Inspectorate, account transparently to stakeholders, and demonstrate genuine commitment to the welfare of its workforce.

Mineworkers are not disposable. Their lives, health, and dignity must take precedence over output and balance sheets.

NO PRODUCTION TARGET IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A MINEWORKER’S LIFE!

For further information and media enquiries, please contact: Masibulele Naki

NUM National Health and Safety Secretary Cell: 073 333 7745

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
Tel: 011 377 2111 Cell: 083 809 3257
Twitter: @Num_Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NUM/10086002340