"The health and safety of mine workers is one the Department of Mineral Resources considers to be critical to the sustainability, hence the development of the Mine Health and Safety Act in 1996, and subsequent amendments – an Amendment Bill is currently up for comment.
"The cases referred to are currently the subject of a criminal investigation, the Department thus would not like to preempt the outcome of the process.
Following these incidents, the Department issued instructions to all mining companies, to ensure that their female employees were protected, in terms of the MHSA (Mine Health and Safety Act). Workers are prohibited from working in isolated areas, where they may be vulnerable to attack or incidents. Employers are required to demonstrate what precautionary measures are in place for the safety of employees, and to report regularly to the Principal Inspector on the status and adequacy of safety and security measures."
