Operations at one of the world’s largest platinum mining complexes have been temporarily suspended after six worker deaths over the past year and a rise in serious underground safety incidents prompted owner Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats) to halt mining and launch a comprehensive safety overhaul.
The Johannesburg-listed miner announced on Monday that mining activities at its flagship Rustenburg complex in South Africa have been suspended from 24 to 28 July to conduct what it described as a comprehensive safety reset, aimed at strengthening workplace safety and preventing further incidents.
The decision follows what the company called an increase in serious safety-related incidents at the operation this year despite an overall improvement in injury rates across the business.
Rustenburg is the group’s largest operation, employing about 51,500 people across its mining and processing activities.
The complex is expected to produce between 1.67 million and 1.76 million six-element platinum-group metal ounces during the 2026 financial year and accounts for almost half of Implats’ total production.
