A female miner was run over and killed by a Trackless Mobile Machine at Gold One’s Modder East Operations
A female miner was run over and killed by a Trackless Mobile Machine at Gold One’s Modder East Operations in Gauteng early Friday, pushing South Africa’s 2026 mine death toll to 35.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) on Saturday said the death was preventable and questioned why life-saving Proximity Detection Systems failed to stop the incident that occurred at about 04:20 during the night shift.
AMCU says the tragedy exposes a mining industry still putting production ahead of people. President Joseph Mathunjwa called for urgent amendments to the Mine Health and Safety Act to introduce criminal sanctions for gross negligence, arguing that fines and compliance notices have failed to stop the rising fatalities.
The union wants mandatory installation and enforcement of proven safety technology like PDS, and says employers who neglect their statutory duties must face prosecution.
