Section 54 Mine Stoppage Notices

The Honourable Minister of Mineral Resources, Ms Susan Shabangu, reinforced during her 2012 budget speech on 10 May 2012, amongst other things, that the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) remains determined to continue issuing stoppage notices in terms of section 54 of the Mine Health and Safety Act, No. 29 of 1996 (MHSA) to ensure compliance with the MHSA.

The Minister stated, "I want to state categorically that it is mischievous to regard section 54 as the only contributor to the loss of production. This flies in the face of the reality that mine operational challenges, can contribute significantly to low production".

The Minister added that the stakeholder task team charged with investigating concerns in respect of the application of section 54 stoppage notices had finalised its investigation. It has been stated in the press that the task team's report outlining its recommendations regarding the future implementation of section 54 stoppage notices was ready