Australian resource companies have been encouraged to continue investment in South Africa's mining sector, but Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu said that profit from mining in the country could not continue at the expense of safety.

She said that South Africa was introducing tougher obligations on the sector to cut the "unacceptably" high death rate in the country's mining sector.

The mine death toll for 2009 is approaching 120, with an average of more than 14 mineworkers dying each month, during the first eight months of the year.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the African Downunder conference, in Perth, Shabangu said that her department was looking to amend the Mine Health and Safety Act and that it would improve on its inspectorate.

Two amendments to the legislation have been suggested, the first of which was a change in how inspectorates do company audits, while the second amendment would hold companies and individuals liable for deaths.

This amendment was currently being discussed with stakeholders, and was likely to be implemented before the end of this year, she said.

The Mineral Resources department would also look to improving the investigation process after an accident or fatality has occurred at a mine. She said that it might establish satellite offices in closer proximity to mining areas, in order to respond more quickly when an accident has occurred.

It might also have to look at employing its own pathologist to complete an investigation in cases where a fatality occurred, Shabangu said, explaining that the department often relied on pathologists employed by the State, or by the responsible company, which could weaken its case when it comes to prosecuting the guilty party.

The Mineral Resources department's legal resources would also be strengthened in an effort to acclimatise its own employees to the correct procedures and ensure that guilty parties were prosecuted and held responsible when an accident or fatality occured.

"These are the areas that we as the administration have decided to improve on as far as health and safety are concerned."

Shabangu said that the South African government did not plan for these amendments to be a deterrent to ongoing investment in the country's mineral wealth.

"Australian investors should see this safety drive as an enhancement of their investment and part of recognising that South Africa is now a destination that cares for its employees in exploration and mine production."

SAFETY PERFORMANCE

Trade union Solidarity said this week that if the current trend of mining fatalities continued in the next four months, South Africa could reach its lowest level of deaths.

So far, a total of 117 mineworkers had died in accidents this year, while 168 mineworkers had died in 2008 and 221 in 2007.

Solidarity head of occupational health and safety Paul Mardon said that the lower fatality rate was due to several factors, such as employers displaying awareness of the seriousness of safety, and threats that companies and individuals could be held criminally liable for deaths.

Solidarity emphasised that if the drop in mining fatalities were to continue in the next few years, South Africa could compete with US and Australian mines in terms of mining safety by about 2013.

"However, this is a significant challenge for South Africa, because the country has some of the deepest, and therefore also the most dangerous mines in the world."