Harmony Gold has confirmed the deaths of five employees in two separate mining incidents on Tuesday, as the South African mining industry remains under global scrutiny at the ongoing Investing in African Mining Indaba.
The company announced on Wednesday that two miners lost their lives in a development-end incident at Doornkop Mine in Soweto, Gauteng. In response, Harmony has temporarily suspended all blasting operations at the site to prioritise safety.
In a separate incident, three employees succumbed to injuries sustained in a severe fall-of-ground accident at Joel Mine, near Theunissen in the Free State.
Harmony Gold stated that investigations into both incidents are being conducted internally and by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), with support from labour representatives and mine management.
Harmony Gold CEO Beyers Nel expressed deep sorrow over the incidents, offering condolences to the families of the deceased.
The fatalities come just two weeks after Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe reported that the industry had recorded 42 mining deaths in 2024—a historic low and a 24% improvement from 55 fatalities in 2023.
However, concerns remain over mining safety, particularly following a similar fatal incident in December 2024 at Harmony Gold’s Moab Khotsong mine in the North West Province.
