The number of people killed on South African mines fell 5% year on year to 73, with large gold and platinum mines the largest contributors, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said on Thursday. The number of injuries fell to 2,662 from 3,138 in the previous year, he said, adding the number of reported occupational diseases declined by 1%. In the platinum sector the number of fatalities increased by 29% to 27, while the number of deaths in the gold sector fell by 3% to 30. The biggest cause of deaths on mines came from falls of ground, which contributed to a third of fatalities, while transport and railway equipment contributed 14%. General accidents made up 21%. Zwane also said the third iteration of the Mining Charter - which has long been a bone of contention in the industry - would be concluded by the end of the first quarter, and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act by the end of the second quarter.
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