Sibanye Gold Ltd. confirmed a seismic event on May 22 at its Ikamva mine, part of the Kloof operations, that resulted in injuries to three employees.
According to the May 24 statement, another seismic event on May 21 occurred at the Manyano mine, also within the Kloof operations, that resulted two injuries.
The comments were in response to a statement by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, or AMCU, that Sibanye should have suspended operations at Ikamva following the first seismic event. "By implication, AMCU is alleging that Sibanye-Stillwater management wilfully put its employees at risk," the company said.
Sibanye noted that seismic events occur at the deep-level mines on a daily basis, with an average of 650 seismic events per year at its operations since 2013. The miner is alleging that the AMCU is pursuing its agenda to damage its reputation.
"The seismic event at the Manyano mine occurred more than 14 hours before the event at the Ikamva mine, and was 2.4 kilometers from the Ikamva incident. As such, there is no possibility at all, that there is any causal relationship between these two events, a fact that AMCU is well aware of," Sibanye said.
