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Where necessary, she said, Section 54 of the act had been invoked to halt or suspend operations of mines or sections of mines found either to be unsafe or not compliant with the law.

She noted that latest figures show that mining fatalities dropped 3% from 127 in 2010 to 123 for 2011, but noted there had already been 13 fatalities in the mining sector this year.

"The recent spate of fatalities is also a reflection of some CEOs' refusal to make meaningful change and take personal responsibility for health and safety issues," she said.

She was particularly critical of the platinum mining industry, saying she was concerned about the lack of improvement in compliance and fatalities in the major platinum mines. She noted the platinum sector alone contributed about 30% of all fatalities.

She said the department would monitor these mines through intensified inspections and group audits.

She said government had established a task team through the Mining Industry Growth and development Task team (MIGDETT) to investigate the industry's concerns regarding the implementation of section 54. But, she stressed it was not the task team's mandate to review the principle of implementing Section 54, but to afford the industry an opportunity to raise their concerns with regard to the application of the provisions of the law.

The platinum miners have recently voiced concerns about the implementation of Section 54 stoppages.

Last month Aquarius Platinum CEO Stuart Murray said production remained below capacity due to the widespread, "and sometimes unjustified" application of Section 54 safety stoppages.

"This issue is making the South African mining industry a difficult place in which to operate and whilst zero-harm is laudable, there must be practical implementation of the law. Not only has the incidence of these stoppages risen markedly, in many cases the time now taken by the regional department to resolve these stoppages has risen from some two days to a week or sometimes more," he said.

Presenting at the Indaba, Ian Farmer, CEO of Lonmin, noted that due to section 54 work stoppages, the company had lost 177,000 tonnes in production in the year just ended.

But it is not only in SA that safety concerns have been raised. Zambia's minister of mines said he will request mine safety is improved when he meets with Chinese mine managers operating in Zambia and the ambassador next week.

"Some methods aren't up to accepted practices," minister Wylbur Simuusa told Dow Jones Newswires on the sidelines of the Indaba. "If they don't improve we may be forced to take their (the miners') licenses."

A report last year from Human Rights Watch highlighted safety violations, which followed complaints from workers at Chinese-run mines in Zambia.

In order to achieve zero fatalities, combat falling production and the rising human and financial costs of accidents in mines across SA, a renewed focus on cultivating a strong safety culture in the mining sector is necessary, suggests Carlman Moyo, DuPont Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa.

Moyo believes the goal of zero fatalities is possible. "While it is clear that low profit margins are adversely affecting profitability in the South African mining industry, this should not translate into a lack of vigilance towards safety.

"It is understandable that companies feel pressure to deplore regulatory stoppages within this economic context, yet we believe that all companies, including those in the mining sector, would benefit from further augmentation of safety governance and renewed diligence in pursuing zero fatalities."

Moyo said local mining companies have made significant strides towards improving safety in recent years - an estimated 54% in the last five years. "This is commendable, yet it should not translate into complacency."

He noted that current conditions in local mining are more difficult than in the past.

"Mining operations are becoming ever more complex as unprecedented depths are reached. Moreover, high unemployment and increasing commodity prices have put much pressure on workers to remain productive, and may unintentionally incite compromises on safety."

For this reason, Moyo stressed that safety should always be placed at the forefront of operational goals.

"Despite such complexity, it is possible to significantly reduce, or even halt, the frequency of incidents and fatalities in the mining sector. We have observed that a robust management system driven by strong leadership, accountability and clearly defined processes and actions has led to improved safety performance, increased productivity and reduced cost."

He added that ultimately companies will continue to suffer incidents and stoppages, without investment - conceptual, financial and human - in safety.

"By increasing visible leadership, solidifying a clear management and accountability infrastructure, as well as implementing comprehensive monitoring mechanisms, mining companies in SA can achieve zero fatalities," Moyo said.

Addressing these local issues also was key to increasing SA's global mining industry competitiveness, he concluded.