Five miners missing after mudslide at South Africa’s Ekapa diamond mine

The Minerals Council South Africa has deployed a senior management team to Kimberley to support Ekapa Mining following a mud-rush incident at its Ekapa diamond mine, where five people have been reported missing.

The team, comprising Senior Executive for Modernisation and Safety Sietse van der Woude and Head of Safety and Sustainable Development Dushendra Naidoo, will engage directly with Ekapa Mining management, Mine Rescue Services, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), and organised labour.

“Our immediate focus is to offer support to Ekapa’s management, the affected operation, its employees, and their families. Finding the five people who are reported missing in the mud rush is the priority,” said Minerals Council CEO Mzila Mthenjane.

The Council said its delegation would work with stakeholders to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure that lessons learned are shared across the industry to prevent a recurrence.

It stressed, however, that the management of the emergency response and investigations remains the responsibility of Ekapa Mining and the relevant authorities. The Council said it would not speculate on the causes of the incident while official processes are underway and referred all requests for comment to Ekapa and the DMPR.

The Minerals Council reaffirmed its commitment to achieving the mining industry’s goal of Zero Harm and to advancing continuous improvements in health and safety standards.