London (Platts)--1Sep2008

Mine inspectors have closed down shafts at two South African gold mining
operations near Johannesburg in the wake of three fatalities.

     Two miners died at Harmony's Elandsrand operation in Carletonville, 50 km
west of Johannesburg, over the weekend when a siesmic event caused a fall of
ground; another miner is in hospital with multiple injuries. 

     A fall of ground caused by a siesmic event killed a miner and injured
another at the Buffelsfontein operation of Simmer and Jack, on Friday (August
29). Amelia Soares, a spokeswoman for Harmony said: "The injured man is still
in hospital, the mine inspectors are investigating and we don't know when the
shaft will reopen."

     Gail Strauss, a spokeswoman for Simmer and Jack, said it was the second
accident at Number Two shaft at Buffelsfontein in the last month and the shaft
would stay closed until further notice. When a miner died in the shaft on
August 14, in a tramming accident, the shaft was closed for several days while
management carried out training.

     Number Two shaft produces around 3 kg of gold per day, according to the
company. 

     Lesiba Seshoka, the national spokesman for the NUM, said more than one
hundred miners had been killed in South Africa so far this year and the union
was going to take up the issue at a safety summit with the government and
employers on Friday (September 5).

     "We are very upset and this is a huge setback for us. The mining
companies claim they are spending a lot of money on safety and say they are
doing enough, but we do not think it is enough," he said.

     Official figures from the Chamber of Mines say 86 miners had died up to
June 30. In 2007, 220 workers died in the mines.
--Chris Bishop, newsdesk@platts.com

For similar news, request a free trial to Platts Metals Week at 
http://www.platts.com/Request%20More%20Information/index.xml?src=story 
or subscribe now at http://getmetalsweek.platts.com