Safety & ESGPetra Diamonds retrenchments put 1,800 jobs at risk at Finsch and Cullinan
Around 1,800 jobs are at risk at Petra Diamonds' Finsch and Cullinan mines, part of a wave of South African mining retrenchments that Solidarity says could total more than 4,000 positions in 2026.
Roy Mulenga·9 September 2026·2 min readCaledonia's Blanket Mine loses bid to block $336,000 death claim
Silicosis claims to Tshiamiso Trust jump 64% as deadline nears
The Tshiamiso Trust says claim lodgements rose 64% in 2025/2026, taking cumulative payouts to R2.53bn, even as its chairperson warns current funding will not sustain operations for the trust's full 12-year life.
Tailings dam collapse at Samancor's Dikwena chrome operation floods North West farmland
A tailings dam at Samancor's Dikwena chrome operation near Brits collapsed on 13 August 2026 after heavy rain, releasing a multi-kilometre trail of mineral waste and damaging Eskom infrastructure.
Marikana marks 14 years with renewed calls for a memorial day
On the 14th anniversary of the Marikana shootings, unions and political parties renewed calls for President Ramaphosa to declare 16 August an official memorial day, saying affected families remain without closure.
South Africa records 33 mine deaths in 2026 as Implats leads fatality toll
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources says 33 miners had died in South African mines by late July 2026, with Impala Platinum's Rustenburg operation accounting for more than a third of the toll.
Implats halts Rustenburg operations after second fatal loco accident in a month
Impala Platinum suspended its entire Rustenburg operation for a safety reset from 24 to 28 July 2026 after two fatal locomotive accidents in less than three weeks.
De Beers to pause Venetia diamond mine production for two years
De Beers announced on 13 July 2026 that it would pause production at its Venetia mine in Limpopo for two years and begin Section 189 consultations over job losses.
Rosh Pinah switches on new water treatment plant
Rosh Pinah Zinc has commissioned a new water treatment plant at its Namibian mine, adding infrastructure needed to manage water from an expanded underground operation under the RP2.0 project.
Kenmare cuts 15% of Moma staff as titanium prices stay weak
Kenmare Resources cut 15% of staff at its Moma titanium minerals mine in Mozambique and suspended its dividend after gross profit plunged 79% and a $301.3m impairment pushed it to a $325m net loss.
Investigation ties Tenke Fungurume pollution to global EV supply chains
An investigation linked pollution and community health risks near CMOC's Tenke Fungurume copper-cobalt mine to cobalt entering the supply chains of major automakers.
Tshiamiso Trust passes R2.5bn in silicosis payouts to former miners
The Tshiamiso Trust said on 9 February 2026 it had disbursed R2.5 billion to former gold miners with silicosis and tuberculosis, reaching the halfway point of its 12-year mandate.
DRDGold's Ergo operation signs five-year wage deal with NUM
DRDGold's Ergo surface-gold operation and the National Union of Mineworkers signed a five-year wage agreement in February 2026, offering guaranteed annual increases and a one-off payment.
Report finds Jagersfontein dam owner knew of cracks years before collapse
An investigation into the 2022 Jagersfontein tailings dam collapse found the owner may have known of structural weaknesses since 2019 yet kept raising the wall and depositing more waste.
HRW calls for health probe into Zambia's Kafue River acid spill
Human Rights Watch says residents affected by the February 2025 Sino-Metals acid spill in Zambia continue to report health problems and is calling for a comprehensive, independent health investigation.
Five charged with murder over Jagersfontein tailings dam collapse
Five men linked to the company that ran the Jagersfontein tailings facility face murder and health-and-safety charges after the 2022 dam collapse that killed two people.
Alphamin restarts Bisie tin mine as M23 rebels pull back from Walikale
Alphamin Resources resumed phased operations at its Bisie tin mine in April 2025, weeks after suspending production when Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advanced on Walikale district in eastern Congo.
Acid spill from Chinese-owned mine poisons Zambia's Kafue River
A dam at Sino-Metals Leach Zambia's Chambishi operation burst on 18 February 2025, releasing acidic effluent that killed fish along the Kafue River and prompted a presidential declaration of crisis.