Implats platinum mine
UPDATE: 19 miners test positive for COVID-19 at Implats Marula mine in Limpopo
Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba said contract tracing has begun, while it’s still not clear if the mine will halt operations.
Minister Mantashe says mining companies should find ways they could optimise production and not run to cutting jobs.
Amcu held a briefing on Tuesday following an announcement last week that the platinum producer plans to cut around 13,000 jobs over the next two years.
On Tuesday, Amcu held a briefing warning of a looming strike in the sector if talks over planned retrenchments fail.
Amcu President Joseph Mathunjwa says the union will embark on an unspecified industrial action at Impala Platinum if talks over the company's plans to cut a third of its workforce fail.
The worker is one of two employees who were trapped underground following a rock fall last month.
Two rock drill operators were trapped when a shaft caved in at the Rustenburg mine on Tuesday.
Implats raised R4bn in 2015 to develop two of its most important shafts while closing other projects.
Nine workers were trapped and operations suspended after the shaft collapsed on Tuesday afternoon.
Implats said this month it was considering closing a shaft and another section of Rustenburg.
The company will unveil the results of a strategic review in December.
A restructuring is expected in South Africa’s platinum sector after a strike by Amcu which ended in June.
While it won’t say which, Sibanye Gold has publicly expressed interest in acquiring platinum mines.
Impala Platinum says platinum producers and Amcu are still trying to resolve outstanding issues.
Mining specialist Olivier Barbeau says government needs to set the record straight.
Cars belonging to staff at a Rustenburg mine were vandalised during the platinum strike.
The strike in the platinum sector is on the eve of its 12th week with no end in sight.
The union has warned the world's three biggest platinum producers not to underestimate its endurance.
The strike by over 80,000 Amcu members is already in its seventh week.