Amcu outraged as Harmony Gold records 10th mining fatality of 2026

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has expressed its anger and outrage at the continued loss of mineworkers’ lives as Harmony Gold recorded its 10th fatality this year.

On Monday afternoon, a seismic event occurred at Harmony’s Mponeng Mine in Carletonville, resulting in a fall of ground that claimed the life of a mineworker.

Harmony said work in the affected area was suspended while a thorough investigation was conducted to determine the circumstances and identify any additional measures needed to strengthen safety controls and risk management practices.

The company said it remained committed to improving safety across its operations through strengthening critical controls, training and development, learning from incidents and working in partnership with all its stakeholders to eliminate loss of life and create safer workplaces for all.

This is not a statistic. It is a failure of prevention, accountability and leadership

The death on Monday brought the total number of mining fatalities in SA to 50 in 2026, said Amcu, compared with 33 during the same period last year.

“This is not a statistic. It is a failure of prevention, accountability and leadership,” Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa said on Thursday.

He said 10 mineworkers had died at Harmony this year, yet the same recurring hazards continued to claim lives. “How many more mineworkers must die before Harmony is forced to answer for its safety failures?”

“Workers are repeatedly exposed to known and foreseeable hazards while management continues to proclaim that safety is its highest priority. If safety truly came first, we would not be standing here counting 10 dead mineworkers,” Mathunjwa said

The union demanded urgent legislative reform, stronger enforcement, meaningful personal accountability and consequences for repeat safety failures.

“Death at work cannot be treated as the cost of doing business. Ten fatalities at one company are enough to demand action. Fifty fatalities nationally are enough to demand accountability.”

Mathunjwa said Amcu would continue campaigning for amendments to the Mine Health and Safety Act to ensure that those responsible for unsafe mining operations could not hide behind corporate structures while mineworkers paid with their lives.