SA mourns mining disaster deaths

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The death toll at the mine has risen to seven following initial reports that four workers had passed away.

“As government and South Africans at large, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased workers, among whom are workers from neighbouring states including Mozambique,” said Ramaphosa on Saturday.

“We also offer our best wishes to workers who have been directly or indirectly affected by this disaster, which should move the mining industry and government to jointly find ways to do all we can to protect our nation’s most valuable resource - the workers who are at the heart of our economy.

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“We should spare no cost and no collaboration to ensure that workers are safe and their families are adequately cared for and compensated when disaster and tragedy strike.”

Ramaphosa hopes the investigation into the Driefontein disaster will identify the causes of the incident and lead to solutions that will address the unacceptable rate of death in South African mines.