South Africa’s mining sector would be allowed to ramp up to 50% of its productive capacity over the next two weeks as part of the government’s plans to slowly relax COVID-19 related lockdown regulations.
The country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said on April 9 that a three-week lockdown intended to slow the spread of the virus would be extended until April 30. However, the government said today that idled mines posed a potential safety risk.
“If you leave a mine for a long time, an active mine without activity, it poses the danger of rockfalls and increases the chances of seismicity, so we don’t want that,” said Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. “We agreed that mines should start operating at 50%,” she said.
However, deep underground gold and platinum group metal (PGM) mines in particular were completely shut. These mines would now begin to operate again provided the correct protocols in respect of testing of returning employees, and quarantining of employees if necessary, was undertaken by the mines.
Mining companies were also being asked to arrange for the transport of South African miners back to the operations.
Asked if the mining sector might be able to reach full productive capacity in May, Gwede Mantashe, mines and energy minister said in response: “That is wishful thinking. It would be ideal if it was, but it will probably go into deep May [before mines were operating at those levels]”.
The Minerals Council South Africa warned that some mines might not re-open post the COVID-19 lockdown period owing to lack of cash flow. Total production capacity could fall by 15% as a result of the lockdown extension, it said.
