Following the deaths of 82 ‘illegal miners’ earlier this year, Parliament’s select committee on economic development will begin conducting regular audits of explosives and investigate suspected illegal activities. They have proposed that the Mine Health and Safety Amendment Act be amended to increase the already hefty fines for non compliant use of explosives underground that are against the law.

What is your opinion on this, do you think amending the Act will help with the decline of illegal mining?

The world’s economic meltdown has seen powerhouses such as the United States of America bailing out businesses who were on the brink of collapsing. South Africa is facing the same meltdown and we’ve witnessed companies from all sectors closing down and others cutting back on working hours.

Do you think the government should be doing more for the mining industry to save jobs and prevent mines to close down?