DEPUTY MINISTER (MINERALS & ENERGY)
SPEECH AT SILICON SMELTERS
DATE: 08 APRIL 2005

The Premier of Limpopo Region
MEC‘s of the Region
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

It is an honour for me to be invited to Silicon Smelters to observe the progress made since the inception of “Project Thuso”.

This region is amongst the fastest growing regions in South Africa in terms of mineral development and mining. If we look five to six years back, this region had approximately ten thousand workforce in the mining sector. I am glad to inform you today that we have a workforce of over thirty thousand in the mining industry. The new platinum mines; Polokwane Smelter gold and diamond mines have resulted in people getting employment and changing the lives of their families for the better. We also appreciate to see the gradual increase in the number of operations where small-scale mining is conducted and the rise in the number of women in the mining industry.

Gone are the days when the mining industry was a labour intensive sector, where employees were working in unsafe conditions; exposed to dangerous fumes, dust, gases and vapours and subjected to high noise levels. The introduction of the Mine Health and Safety Act, Act no. 29 of 1996 has been enacted for the protection of the health and safety of employees at the mines by ensuring that the mine is designed, constructed and equipped to provide conditions for safe operation and healthy working environment and to entrench the right to refuse to work in dangerous conditions. Working in the mines should be like walking in the park

Silicon Smelters has demonstrated that no job is so important that it cannot be done safely. In other words the health and safety of its employees comes first before their production. The formation of Project Thuso was and is still a step in right direction. Participation, co-operation and consultation on health and safety between the State, Employers and Employee representatives are of paramount importance. We have just heard the progress made at this mine because of this working together I have just mentioned.
A large amount of money has been used to improve working conditions by installing effective engineering control measures and training their employees.
The flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.
Sithi phambili with Project Thuso phambili.
Phambili with health and safety at Silicon Smelters phambili
Together we can make it happen.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you about the challenges / milestones that we are faced with as a tripartite institution which are:

The HIV/ Aids epidemic
The elimination of silicosis and noise induced hearing loss and
The reduction in fatality rates.

•     The HIV/Aids epidemic poses one of the greatest challenges to the business development in Africa. It does not affect only the workers, by claiming a large part of the population with disposable income and by impoverishing families and communities, the market base of African business is also affected. The business community in general and the South African business community is in a unique position to make a difference in facing this new challenge, by developing workplace programmes for HIV/ AIDS and STD’s.

•      By December 2008, 95 per cent of all exposure measurements results must be below the occupational exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica of 0,1 mg/m³. These results are individual readings and not averages.

•      After December 2013,using current diagnostic techniques, no cases of silicosis are to occur amongst previously unexposed individuals. Previously unexposed individuals being the individuals unexposed prior to 2008 i.e. a new person entering the industry in 2008

The current noise exposure limit as specified in the regulations is 85 dB(A).

• implemented by industry must ensure that there is no deterioration in hearing greater than 10 per cent amongst occupationally exposed individuals.

• By December 2013, the total noise emitted by all equipment installed in any workplace must not exceed a sound pressure level of 110 dB (A) at any location in that workplace.

• Gold sector has to reduce fatality rate by 50%

• Coal, platinum and other mines to reduce their fatality rate by 20% 

With the commitment and dedication of all parties involved, we can face all these challenges and reduce their impact in the workplace and in the communities where we all live. 

Fellow South Africans, our country, as a united nation, as President Thabo Mbeki has asserted has never in its entire history enjoyed a confluence of encouraging possibilities, sparing neither effort nor strength, we can and also shall build a South Africa that truly belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.

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