ENERGY and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe says mining companies are set to work their way up to full production when the country enters level 3 of the lockdown on June 1.
Addressing a media briefing by the economic cluster of ministers in Pretoria on Friday, Mantashe said all deep mining operations are expected to ramp up to full capacity as from Monday.
“This brings the mining industry to full capacity of production. All mining operations must prioritise the health and safety of mineworkers and other persons who may be directly affected by the operations at mines. Compliance with conditions to the starting and increasing of capacity as enshrined in the lockdown regulations is compulsory,” said Mantashe.
“Prior to ramping up, all mining operations are required to prepare and implement a mandatory Code of Practice for the mitigation and management of Covid-19. Failure to do so will be regarded as a criminal offence and a bridge of the Mine Health and Safety Act. We believe that the directive to all mining operations to ensure safe startup procedures and the systematic phasing-in of workers will allow the sector to operate safely and optimally.”
Mantashe confirmed that as at Thursday, May 28, the mining industry had tested over 4 600 persons at mines, of which 384 tested Covid-19 positive.
That means of the 27 403 cases in South Africa, 384 are in mining.
“The more we test, the more we become aware of the extent of the problem and the location thereof,” said Mantashe.
“The new complication that is emerging; is people who show no signs of Covid-19 but testing positive. This tells us that we need to intensify our screening and testing programme. We urged all mining operations to pull their resources together and share testing and quarantine facilities.”
He said the health and safety measures taken by the mining industry have been developed in line with the call by the President Cyril Ramaphosa for government to consult and implement a risk-based strategy that will enable a phased recovery of the economy.
“We are going through a difficult period. We are called upon to learn to live with Covid-19. We need grow the economy while, we save lives,” he said.
“In our view, Energy will be the flywheel of reviving our economy which has been severely impacted upon by the downgrades, recession and Covid-19.”
(Compiled by Inside Politics staff)
