Harmony Gold Mining says one of its employees tragically lost his life, following a fall-of-the-ground incident at its Doornkop mine, in Soweto, Gauteng Province, South Africa, on May 2.
It said the cause of the accident is currently under investigation, both internally and by the regulator.
“We are deeply saddened by [the] loss of one of our colleagues. At Harmony, safety is our foremost priority,” said company chief executive Peter Steenkamp.
“A safe mine is a productive one—never the other way around. These tragedies serve as a harsh reminder that we can never be complacent, and much more still needs to be done to achieve our goal of zero loss of life.”
He said Harmony continues to focus on embedding risk management practices throughout its operations to help eliminate accidents in the workplace.
“Harmony will be holding a company-wide Safety Day [this] week as a reminder of the critical importance that good safety practices play in safeguarding our future,” said Steenkamp.
“Family members, colleagues, and the relevant authorities have been informed and the affected area has since been temporarily closed. The safety of our employees remains our priority and we endeavour to ensure that all safety protocols are adhered to at all times.”
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
