Mining industry preparedness for continuing phase up of operations
28 April 2020
The Minerals Council South Africa is pleased to be able to note the partial resumption of mining activities since the amendment of the 16 April Disaster Management Act regulations, which will be reinforced by the switch to the Level 4 alert status announced by President Ramaphosa on 23 April.
While it is too early to assess accurately the impact of the new situation on the state of the industry, the Minerals Council continues to applaud government’s well-considered and decisive approach to the COVID-19 crisis faced in South Africa and around the world.
The Minerals Council has noted concerns from some parties regarding the care that mining companies have taken, and will take, as production is phased up in the sector. The industry is extremely conscious of the responsibilities it faces in these unprecedented circumstances. No doubt, as the economy more broadly begins its own opening up process with the switch on 1 May to Level 4, employers in many sectors face similar responsibilities.
The Minerals Council, in close co-operation with member companies’ occupational health experts and others, and in engagements through the Mine Health and Safety Council with experts from government and organised labour, has been monitoring the situation closely since January and taking a range of actions. This work has been conducted through the Minerals Council’s Health Policy Committee. These engagements and actions have always been based on engagement with, and information from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), and through the use of materials provided by the WHO.