By Sharon Mdaka
While South Africa’s coal industry continues to make strides in reducing fatalities and occupational injuries, Coal Safe 2026 highlighted that part of achieving zero harm will also depend on the strategy put in place to address chronic diseases, mental health and the well-being of employees.
The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum
Resources, Gwede Mantashe, during his
address at Coal Safe 2026. All images © African Mining, incorporating Mining Mirror
Speakers ranged from government officials, regulators, CEOs and senior industry representatives, who emphasised that the coal sector has entered its transitioning phase, where safety, health and environmental stewardship are becoming inseparable from productivity and investment.
During his address, the minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, argued that every fatality represents people and families that have lost a loved one. He stressed that zero-harm is not a theory but a call to action.
“Now at the centre of this industry are people and mineworkers who have a right to refuse to work in an unsafe environment,” said Mantashe. While he acknowledged improvements in fatality trends over recent years, he cautioned against complacency, adding that progress remains fragile in a high-risk environment and that meaningful safety performance also depends on honest leaders who have integrity and can take accountability.
DMPR’s chief inspector of mines, David Msiza, provided a data-driven overview of the sector performance. He highlighted continued reductions in occupational fatalities and improvements in exposure control, especially around noise-induced hearing loss and pulmonary tuberculosis trends in coal mining. He reported that the sector has made major improvements in safety performance, including periods where coal mining operations recorded zero fatalities.
However, he raised concerns in areas such as transport-related incidents, contractor-managed operations and smaller mining operations where challenges continue to persist. While fatality numbers have declined over time, he stressed that non-casualty incidents, such as methane ignitions, fires and shaft-related occurrences, require stronger preventative focus before they escalate into disasters.
Concerning contractor management, with several workers in parts of the sector operating under non-permanent arrangements. According to Msiza, this introduces variability in training, supervision and compliance consistency, all of which affect safety outcomes.
The conference also highlighted the growing attention given to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and long-term occupational health conditions. These included hypertension, obesity, cancer incidence, mental health disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress, and rising cases of occupational stress-related illness.
According to Msiza, while progress has been recorded in communicable diseases such as HIV and TB, where mining-sector TB rates have improved to below national averages, screening coverage remains below targets. He cautioned that without improved medical surveillance uptake, early detection gains could stall.
The sector also faces a growing burden linked to lifestyle and chronic conditions. Hypertension and obesity were repeatedly flagged as major contributors to declining worker wellbeing, alongside a rise in reports of mental health challenges in high-pressure mining environments.
The coal sector representatives emphasised that sustainability efforts are now intertwined with operational safety, including
Investments in cleaner technologies, emissions reduction and rehabilitation planning. At the same time, the role of coal in energy security remained a consistent theme, particularly in supporting grid stability in a constrained power system.
Shamini Harrington, senior executive for Environment, Health, Legacies and Employee Relations at Minerals Council South Africa, added that environmental stewardship and safety are no longer separate considerations. She said that modern mining frameworks integrate ESG principles, risk-based safety systems and long-term closure planning into operational decision-making.
“We are now firmly in an era of massive coal mining which is evolving through modernisation, emissions reduction and responsible demand rehabilitation. This is the essence of sustainable coal distribution in South Africa,” she said.
She also reminded attendees that the coal sector has historically played a central role in global industrialisation and remains critical to South Africa’s energy system, citing that coal still provides most of the electricity supply and continues to support grid stability in a context of constrained infrastructure and rising demand.
She explained that sustainable coal mining must be guided by technology efficiency, responsible investment and alignment with international environmental standards. She also highlighted the growing importance of critical minerals in enabling the global energy transition, positioning mining as a key contributor to future digital and clean energy systems.
In the spotlight at the conference was also the role of leadership in sustaining safety gains. Speakers emphasised that safety outcomes are closely tied to leadership behaviour, consistency in enforcement and the ability to maintain discipline across complex operations.
There was also consensus that while fatality reduction trends are encouraging, the next phase of safety improvement will depend on addressing less visible risks such as occupational disease, contractor oversight, mental health and operational interactions.
The sector’s direction continues to be shaped by the expectation that mining success will be measured not only by production and economic contribution, but also by the safety and wellbeing of workers and communities.