Claims That South Africa Accounts for 50% of Global Mining Fatalities Are False
- Misleading claims have been circulating on social media platforms making the assertion that SA accounts for half of the global mining deaths
- These claims are based on a report published by the International Council on Mining and Metals, which only has 28 members globally
- The majority of the mining deaths and accidents that occur in South Africa happen at gold mines and platinum mines
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A social media post has made the claim that 50% of the global mining deaths can be attributed to South Africa. This claim has been found to be misleading and interpreted incorrectly.
Source: Getty Images
According to Africa Check, claims like this have been made on various other social media platforms and are devoid of the facts and any data that have been collected about mining deaths worldwide.
The claim by the user is based on a report published by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) in 2020. The mining organisation compiles data on workplace deaths and accidents reported by its members.
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The ICMM stated that their organisation only consists of 28 members, from whom they have collected data on mining deaths and accidents.
A total of 44 deaths were recorded in 2020 and 22 of those deaths occurred in South Africa. This means that South Africa accounts for 50% of the mining fatalities reported by 28 members of the ICMM. This figure does not account for all deaths globally.
The mining deaths recorded by the ICMM should be noted that they differ from other sources such as the government. For example, in 2018 the ICMM recorded 14 deaths in South Africa while the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy reporting that 81 mining deaths occurred that year.
South Africa's history of mining deaths and fatalities
According to News24, South Africa has some of the deepest mines globally. The country previously had the worst safety and health conditions.
Gold mines have the highest number of fatalities which is followed by platinum mining operations.
The most common mining fatalities are recorded to be caused by miners falling which have seen an increase in the gold mining industry.
Dali Mpofu says the Marikana massacre Is part of South Africa's dark history
In other mining news, Briefly News reported Advocate Dali Mpofu, who is the former legal representative of the families of mineworkers who were murdered in what is known as the Marikana Massacre, says that the incident will always be part of South Africa's darkest history.
According to Mpofu, the massacre would be remembered as the country's worst post-apartheid human catastrophe, reports SABC News.
"Unlike the Sharpeville Massacre, unlike the Langa Massacre, this was the first massacre that was perpetrated in a way by us, because in those times we could say it’s the apartheid government, what do you expect?” said Mpofu.
Mpofu contended that the Marikana miners were slain because they wanted to be free of the previous government's colonial and apartheid chains.
Source: Briefly News
