NUM deeply saddened by horrific fatal accident that killed more than twenty Venetia mineworkers in Musina

Media Statement, 18 September 2023

The National Union of Mineworkers NUM) is terribly devastated by the loss of more than twenty (20) mineworkers employed by Murray & Robert's operations in Venetia mine who died yesterday when their bus collided with a truck on the R572 at Musina in Limpopo.

The workers were fatally injured in a horrific and tragic accident on R572 road from Musina to Venetia mine whilst travelling to work for a night shift.

According to the information at our disposal, the accident happened around 5pm when the mine bus and a truck collided head-on. The two vehicles caught fire resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries.

As the NUM North East Region we can confirm that about twenty (22) lives were lost and several employees sustained injuries. A chopper had to be used to airlift one employee to hospital in critical condition whereas the other four were transferred to local a hospital.

“We are very shattered and devastated about this incident. We are saying enough is enough about the loss of lives in the public roads. Government should do something to up grade their roads because this is the second incident in a short space of six months. We are losing workers due to road accidents”, said NUM North East Regional Secretary Phillip Mankge.

The NUM is urgently calling upon the Limpopo provincial government to urgently assemble a team of investigators to probe all the main causes of such terrible accidents in the province. There should be zero tolerance with regard to road deaths on the public roads.

We would like to offer our sincere and deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased.  One death is one too many.

The NUM North East Regional Chairperson Rangers Molapo and NUM Regional Health and Safety Secretary Sekotswana Ledwaba are currently at the accident scene to gather more information.

For more detailed information, please contact:

Rangers Molapo, NUM North East Regional Chairperson, 083 282 1674

Phillip Mankge, NUM North East Regional Secretary, 076 053 3401

Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM National Spokesperson, 083 809 3257

Luphert Chilwane, NUM Media Officer, 083 809 3255

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