Cape Town - Efforts to tackle illegal mining and damage to infrastructure were paying off, President Cyril Ramaphosa said while delivering the keynote address at the Africa Mining Indaba (AMI) at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Tuesday.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy previously announced that the mining sector lost around R49 billion in 2019 to illegal mining.
“The South African Police Service has established multi-disciplinary Economic Infrastructure Task Teams that are operational in 20 identified hotspots.
In the last six months, these teams have conducted around hundreds of operations and made a significant number of arrests,” Ramaphosa said.
“Transnet has developed partnerships with the industry and private security to address cable theft and vandalism on the freight rail network through advanced technologies and additional security personnel. As industry, law enforcement agencies and government departments we will deepen our co-operation to stamp out illegal mining and other acts of economic sabotage.
“This is a challenging time for mining, both in South Africa and across the continent. However, we have the means to overcome our difficulties and forge a brighter future for this industry.
As the world changes, mining is changing with it and the industry stands ready to seize the opportunities that the future presents,” Ramaphosa said.
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe said the South African mining industry recorded 49 fatalities in 2022, which is the lowest number of fatalities recorded in history, representing a 34% improvement year-on-year compared to 74 fatalities recorded in 2021.
“This is a milestone, not a target, that must be acknowledged and communicated by the industry as part of its achievements to change the reputation and image of the industry in the public eye.
It is also important to note that there has been no mine disaster recorded in the past three years. This is a result of concerted efforts by all social partners who actively participated in the health and safety campaigns throughout the years,“ he said.
Mining Services, Bridgestone Southern Africa executive manager, Carl Martins said the light at the end of the tunnel for the industry was the growing ability to use data to improve safety and productivity.
“A Covid-19 hangover and the Ukraine war have definitely disrupted supply chains but, these considerations aside, specialised mining tyres have an exceptionally long lead time from factory floor to fitment; four to five months is average as production takes a month, shipping 6-8 weeks and then there is the challenge of in-country logistics.
However, it needs to be recognised that the supply chain is vulnerable on multiple fronts, including container shortages, shipment delays and strikes, as well as normal production issues and shortages of raw materials.
All of these factors make planning a complex business. Given all of these factors, it is clear that a solutions-based approach will have significant benefits,” said Martins.
The Indaba continues until Thursday.
Cape Times