‘Let us not give families false hope’: Mantashe says Ekapa miners presumed dead

WHILE rescue operations continue for the five mineworkers trapped underground at Ekapa Minerals’ Joint Shaft Mine in Kimberley, the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, said that, given the conditions of the mud rush, the workers were “presumed dead”.

Mantashe, along with a delegation including Northern Cape Premier Dr Zamani Saul and Sol Plaatje executive mayor Martha Bartlett, conducted an underground inspection of the mine on Friday.

Mantashe pointed out that the operation would take “longer than expected” due to rising water levels inside the mine.

“If you come back after the water is pumped out, it is high again the following day. We can sugarcoat it, but it is quite difficult as the water is deep and the situation is complex. The mining company is focused on the rescue operation. Drilling is being done far from where the bodies are estimated to be trapped. After so many days, we are making a presumption of death as the possibility of death is high and the possibility of life is minimal,” he said. 

“We hope we can find those bodies. Families are being briefed so that they do not hold on to false hope. We aim for zero deaths, yet accidents still occur.”

Mantashe added that the mine accident amounted to a disaster as families had lost breadwinners.

“This is not a human rights issue as mining is difficult, dangerous and deadly. Miners take on this risk on a voluntary basis."

He added that the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources would oversee a detailed investigation into the “disaster”.

“We must get GeoScience to investigate the source of the water. We must be patient and first retrieve the bodies before starting the investigation. I don’t want to speculate on the causes or make premature assumptions,” Mantashe said.

Videos: Sandi Kwon Hoo / DFA