NUM NAHSCO calls for urgent action to end workplace fatalities and defend workers' lives

The National Health and Safety Committee (NAHSCO) of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which convened at the Elijah Barayi Memorial Training Centre (EBMTC) in Midrand from 28–29 July 2026, expresses its profound concern over the deteriorating health and safety standards in the mining and construction sectors.

Rising Workplace Fatalities Demand Immediate Action

The Committee noted with grave concern that 38 mineworkers and 23 construction workers have lost their lives in workplace incidents during the reporting period. These are not mere statistics—they are human beings, parents, siblings, and breadwinners who left home to earn an honest living but never returned.

The NUM firmly maintains that these deaths are preventable. Workers continue to sacrifice their lives while generating wealth for companies that too often prioritize production and profit above human dignity, safety, and health. Every fatality represents a catastrophic failure of leadership, planning, and accountability, leaving behind grieving families and devastated communities.

Growing Alarm Over Fatalities Among Women Workers

The Committee is particularly alarmed by an emerging and deeply unsettling trend: an increasing number of women workers losing their lives in the workplace. This unacceptable reality requires urgent investigation and decisive intervention. Memorial services and messages of condolence are not enough. South Africa requires bold, enforceable action to ensure workers do not die while earning a living.

The Committee further noted that behind every fatality are numerous serious injuries, occupational diseases, psychological trauma, and a demoralized workforce. The NUM reiterates that every worker has a constitutional right to return home safe and sound after every shift.

Mining Companies Must Return to Tripartite Health and Safety Forums

NUM NAHSCO is deeply concerned that major mining houses are retreating from structured safety engagements by abandoning Tripartite Health and Safety Forums. At a time when the industry continues to experience unacceptable fatalities, employers should be strengthening cooperation not withdrawing from it.

The Committee notes with disappointment that Anglo American withdrew from the Tripartite Forum initiative, with Valterra subsequently following suit. The cancellation of all planned Tripartite Health and Safety meetings for 2026 demonstrates a disturbing lack of commitment to genuine stakeholder engagement.

Tripartite forums bringing together organized labor, employers, and government are fundamental to identifying risks, resolving safety challenges, and preventing fatalities. Employers who distance themselves from these structures actively weaken collective efforts to save lives.

The Committee calls on Anglo American, Valterra, and all mining companies to recommit to meaningful tripartite engagement and immediately reinstate all cancelled meetings. Furthermore, employers must strengthen Regional Tripartite Forums as essential operational structures. Health and safety is not an optional exercise—it is a legal, moral, and social imperative.

Recognizing Excellence in Health and Safety

Despite these alarming conditions, NAHSCO recognizes companies that demonstrate that workplace fatalities can be eliminated through strong leadership and unwavering safety protocols. The Committee commends:

• Kusasalethu Mine
• Exxaro Leeuwpan Mine
• Phakisa Mine (Free State)

These operations prove that "Zero Harm" is achievable when employers invest in robust safety systems, worker participation, and proactive risk management.

Impala’s "Safety Day" Cannot Replace Genuine Safety

The Committee strongly condemns the recent "Safety Day" organized by Impala Mine following multiple workplace fatalities at its operations. The NUM was deliberately excluded from this event despite being a primary stakeholder and recognized representative of the workforce.

The NUM rejects any attempt to portray PR events as genuine safety commitments while workers continue to die. Safety is not built through stadium gatherings or public relations campaigns—it is built through visible leadership, proper equipment maintenance, effective supervision, and authentic worker participation. The Committee views Impala’s event as an attempt to divert attention from urgent, necessary safety reforms.

Retrenchments in Diamond Sector Threaten Livelihoods

The Committee expresses serious concern over developments in the diamond mining sector, where employers are responding to economic pressures with mass retrenchments rather than collaborating with organized labor on sustainable solutions.

Key areas of concern include:

• Finch Mine (Kimberley): Currently under Business Rescue.
• Venetia Mine (Musina): Over 1,100 permanent jobs under immediate threat.
• Cullinan Mine (Pretoria): Workers face ongoing uncertainty regarding their future.

The NUM rejects the trend of restructuring the diamond sector at the expense of workers. Mineworkers must not carry the burden of corporate mismanagement while executive profits remain protected.

NUM Demands Stricter Enforcement and Accountability

NUM NAHSCO calls on the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate, employers, and all industry stakeholders to urgently intensify efforts to eliminate fatalities and injuries.

The Committee demands:

1. Stricter enforcement of health and safety legislation.
2. Direct accountability for employers who fail to protect workers.
3. Meaningful worker participation in all health and safety structures.

The NUM remains resolute in fighting for safe workplaces, job security, and the dignity of every worker. The lives of mineworkers and construction workers are priceless and will never be sacrificed for production targets.

Our message is clear: Every worker who leaves home for work deserves to return home alive. One death is one too many.

Issued by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) – National Health and Safety Committee (NAHSCO)

For interviews and media inquiries, please contact:

• Masibulele Naki

NUM National Health and Safety Secretary & Diamond Sector Chief Negotiator
Cell: 073 333 7745 / 064 502 1769

The National Union of Mineworkers
7 Rissik Street.
Cnr Frederick Johannesburg
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