Another Mozambican miner dies in South Africa

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Another Mozambican miner dies in South Africa

2:44 CAT | 18 Jul 2016

A Mozambican miner, Lucas Chauque, has been killed in an accident at Impala Platinum Mine Number 12 in the South African province of North West.

Chauque, whose head suffered a fatal blow in a rock-fall incident, was one of about 30,000 Mozambicans who work in the South African mining industry, about 10,000 of whom work in the platinum mines.

With around 500,000 workers, South African mines are among the most dangerous in the world. At least 50 miners die each year in work-related accidents, the gold mines being considered the most dangerous.

Although the introduction of new mineral extraction technologies and pressure from unions to improve safety conditions at work has drastically reduced fatal accidents, miners continue to pay dearly.

Economically pressured mining companies are betting on technology-intensive extraction at the expense of labour, and this month it was announced that foreign miners working in South Africa may no longer be needed within three or four years.

The accident happened at a time when the union leaders in the platinum sector renewed their demand for a monthly minimum wage of 12,500 rand, or about US$880. This is the pay demand that led to the longest strike in South African mining’s history and eventually resulted in the “Marikana massacre” of striking workers two years ago.

The consequences continue to damage the sector.

Deportations continue

Over 1,140 Mozambican illegal immigrants were deported by South Africa in the last three months. The figure represents a reduction in deportations, but this is reportedly due more to logistical problems in detention and transport than any verifiable decline in numbers.

Source: Voa Portugues