9 November 2026
SUMMARY: The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has received a report that a General Team Assistant employed by KB Mining, a contractor at Evander Gold Mine in Mpumalanga Province, was killed in a Fall of Ground on 6 November 2026. The Union condemns the continued rise in mine fatalities, with the national fatality toll reaching 59, including 23 contractor employees, compared with 38 fatalities and seven contractor employees during the corresponding period in 2025.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has received a report that a General Team Assistant employed by KB Mining, a contractor at Evander Gold Mine in Mpumalanga Province, was killed in a Fall of Ground on Friday, 6 November 2026.
According to preliminary information received by the Union, the incident occurred at approximately 12:00 while the General Team Assistant was conducting Barring activities underground. A rock dislodged and struck him on the back.
The mineworker was attended to by an underground paramedic at the underground medical station, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered. Despite these efforts, he could not be resuscitated and was declared dead.
“Our sincere condolences go to the family, friends, and colleagues of our fallen comrade during this difficult time. May his soul rest in peace”, said AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa.
The monthly fatality figures recorded for 2026 and the corresponding period in 2025 are reflected below:
| Month | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| March | 10 | 4 |
| April | 4 | 4 |
| May | 4 | 4 |
| June | 9 | 6 |
| July | 7 | 3 |
| August | 5 | 0 |
| September | 8 | 2 |
| October | 5 | 4 |
“We warned the mining industry earlier this year that the upward trend in fatalities showed that the industry was regressing in its efforts to prevent workplace deaths. Those warnings have now materialised, with the fatality toll standing at 59, compared with 38 during the corresponding period last year. Of the 59 fatalities recorded this year, 23 involved contractor employees, compared with seven during the corresponding period in 2025”, he explained.
“The industry cannot continue watching mineworkers being killed month after month while claiming to have comprehensive safety systems, procedures, Codes of Practice, and regulatory frameworks in place. These deaths are an indictment of the industry’s commitment to protecting human life. It is unacceptable that mineworkers continue to die in workplaces governed by stringent Mine Health and Safety requirements”, said Mathunjwa.
This fatality brings the number of mineworkers killed in Falls of Ground in the South African mining industry to 14 in 2026. Falls of Ground remain a major cause of mine fatalities, despite the well-established risks associated with Ground Instability and the availability of Ground Control measures, Workplace Examinations, Barring Procedures, and applicable Codes of Practice.
“We are particularly concerned about the growing number of contractor fatalities. The increase from seven contractor deaths in 2025 to 23 in 2026 points to a serious and unacceptable deterioration in the protection of contract mineworkers. Contract mineworkers must not become a neglected category whose safety receives less attention or whose lives are treated as less valuable”, Mathunjwa said.
“We demand accountability from the mining industry and call for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this fatality. The investigation must establish what caused the rock to dislodge, whether the prescribed Barring Procedure was followed, whether the workplace had been properly examined and declared safe, whether adequate Ground Control measures were implemented, and whether there was compliance with the mine’s applicable Codes of Practice and statutory obligations”, Mathunjwa added.
“The industry cannot continue treating fatalities as monthly statistics while families are left to bury their loved ones. Mineworkers are not disposable, and their lives cannot be reduced to numbers in an industry report. The time for repeated warnings and promises has passed. What is required is decisive action, effective enforcement, and personal accountability. We reiterate our call for the Mine Health and Safety Act to be amended to ensure that those whose negligence or failure to discharge their statutory duties contributes to injury or death are held personally accountable”, Mathunjwa concluded.
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For more information or media interviews, contact AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa.