A somber atmosphere envelops the mining community as the Minerals Council South Africa and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) deeply mourn the tragic accident that occurred near the Venetia mine, owned by diamond magnate De Beers, in Limpopo. On the ill-fated afternoon of September 17, a catastrophic collision between a bus and a truck led to a devastating loss of life.
Engineering and contractor conglomerate Murray & Roberts (M&R) publicly acknowledged the tragic demise of 18 of their staff members in the crash. These employees were on their way to De Beers’ Venetia mine, gearing up for their night shift, when disaster struck. Following the collision, both the bus and truck were engulfed in flames.
M&R, still grappling with the shock of this calamity, extended its heartfelt condolences to the grieving families. The firm has pledged comprehensive support to the affected families and their other employees during this period of immense grief.
While the exact cause behind this tragic accident is still under official investigation, the Minerals Council South Africa echoes a deep sentiment of sympathy. The Council underlined this accident as a grim reminder of the unnerving number of casualties South Africa witnesses on its roads every year. They’ve also offered their assistance to both M&R and De Beers during these trying times.
The palpable anguish of the NUM is evident. “The magnitude of our heartbreak is immeasurable. Repeated incidents like these, with such significant loss of life on our public roads, demand immediate action. It’s disheartening to see our workforce diminish because of road accidents, especially when this is the second major incident in just half a year,” lamented NUM North East regional secretary, Philip Mankge.
NUM is strongly urging the Limpopo provincial government to establish a dedicated investigative team to delve deep into the underlying causes of these severe accidents that are distressingly frequent in the region.
