Minerals Council position on COVID-19

The Minerals Council South Africa recognises the novel COVID-19 pandemic as a serious threat to South Africa, and her people. We are fully supportive of the measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the efforts by government to manage this unprecedented crisis.

We are working closely with the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), as we plan and collaborate as an industry to prevent and contain the spread of the disease; to support the rapid detection and isolation of individuals who may have been affected; to ensure that employees and their families have the understanding and support they need in this challenging time; and to augment national and community resources where we are able to do so. We are fully committed to working closely with organised labour, directly and through the Mine Health and Safety Council.

The Minerals Council recognises that the accessibility of information and transparency is critical in our efforts. The industry’s approach to reporting on incidents of COVID-19 is aligned to the requirements of the DoH in the first instance, while keeping the DMRE, the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) and organised labour informed at all times.