Impala Platinum (Implats) says all the employees who were engaged in an illegal and unprotected underground protest at Impala Bafokeng in South Africa have returned safely to the surface.
The protest action, initially involving 2 205 employees, began at the North and South shafts of the operation’s Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine on 18 December 2023.
Implats said Impala Bafokeng management’s primary focus over the past few days was on ensuring the health, safety and security of employees who were participating in the illegal protest.
The miner said it was grateful that the protest action concluded swiftly and without safety incidents given it occurred in the operation’s underground workings, in breach of safety regulations, and against a background of increasing incidents of a similar nature at other mining companies.
“Our focus now shifts to safely completing the planned operational shutdown at Impala Bafokeng ahead of the upcoming Christmas break, instituting required disciplinary processes, and securing the sustainability of the operation amid the low metal price environment,” said Implats.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
