Three mine workers managed to escape and two were released due to their medical conditions after being stuck in an illegal underground sit-in at Gold One mine in Springs, on the East Rand. 

The mine workers are protesting against the dismissal of about 70 employees last month after a disciplinary hearing.  

This was confirmed on Sunday by the head of legal affairs at the mine, Ziyaad Hassan, who said the situation at the mine remained “tense”. 

He said middle managers and contractors were among those still trapped underground.   

“At this stage we understand that Amcu [Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union] and NUM [National Union of Mineworkers] have since distanced themselves from the underground sit-in. Both unions have committed to doing everything they can to diffuse the situation. We are doing everything we can to bring those people safely back to surface,” said Hassan. 

He added that  they were worried about  an apparent trend in which mineworkers stage a sit-in whenever they had grievances.

“We are hearing that those underground are complaining that food is running out, so we are seriously concerned about the health and safety of the miners underground. The situation remains tense and fluid,” Hassan said.

In October, more than 500 employees spent three days underground in what the company, police and NUM labelled as kidnapping.

But at the time Amcu and some workers said the sit-in was in protest against the company’s failure to award the  rival union organisational rights. 

Meanwhile Impala Platinum says its Impala Rustenburg 11 shaft – which accounts for 15% of annual production, and where 13 employees lost their lives after a conveyance system failure a week ago – will be out of action for the foreseeable future.

Impala spokesperson Johan Theron said the full impact of the closure would depend on how long the shaft remained shut.  “It does not mean we are going to lose 15% of production – it just means 11 shafts’ contribution is 15% and, depending on how long it’s going to be impacted, that will progressively accumulate. If it is out for six months, the impact will be 7.5% of production; if it is out for three months, it will be 3.5%; and if it is out for a month, it will be 1%,” he said.

An internal investigation is underway to get to the bottom of how a conveyance cage hoisting 86 miners to the surface suddenly plummeted. On Thursday, 45 employees were still in hospital, including six in a critical condition. “We will need the regulator, the department of mineral resources & energy  – to check everything and give us the go-ahead to conduct the investigation and effect the necessary repairs. The employees need to receive counselling,” Theron said. 

- Additional reporting by Jeanette Chabalala and Dineo Faku