JOHANNESBURG - Search-and-rescue efforts are continuing at Ekapa Mining in the Northern Cape after five workers were trapped by a mudslide earlier this week.
The incident has reignited concerns about mining safety standards.
Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) representative Krister Janse van Rensburg said such incidents are not the result of natural disasters, but rather engineering shortcomings within the mining industry.
“An accident underground is never merely an accident,” he said.
However, he cautioned against drawing premature conclusions before investigations are concluded.
“We remain very sceptical, even though we cannot presuppose what the inquiries will find,” he said.
As search-and-rescue operations continue to locate and extract the workers, families are waiting anxiously above ground.
A relative of one of the trapped miners said Ekapa Mine has discouraged families from speaking to the media.
Details surrounding the cause of the incident remain limited, as the company has released little information.
Van Rensburg criticised the mine’s silence, arguing that transparency is crucial during such times.
“It is an embarrassment,” he said.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has also expressed concern over the incident.
The union has called on the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and other relevant stakeholders to launch a comprehensive investigation.