Sibanye-Stillwater’s 260 employees have safely returned to surface following the shaft incident at Kloof 7 on 22 May 2025. The company says that at no point was there any risk of injury to employees during the incident, which occurred when the skip door of the Kloof 7 sub-shaft rock winder opened at the loading point on Level 39, impacting Levels 40, 41 and below. Comprehensive safety inspections and a shaft integrity assessment, along with the necessary repairs, were carried out before employees could be safely brought to surface.

The first group of employees surfaced on the 23rd of May around 13:30 pm with the remaining employees returning safely from about 19:30 pm.  Sibanye said that based on safety evaluations, a decision was made for employees to remain at their respective stations underground rather than use emergency escape routes, which would have required long walking distances.

Mine rescue and medical teams were deployed, and measures were taken to ensure employees were safe and had access to food and water. All affected employees will also undergo thorough medical examinations, if required, while support has also been extended to employees’ families. Sibanye-Stillwater is engaging with the Chief Inspector of Mines, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, and trade unions.

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Operations will resume once all safety and risk assessments are concluded and the shaft is deemed safe. “Safety remains our core priority, and we will not resume operations until we are confident that all the necessary remedial actions have been implemented. I would like to thank our management, mine rescue, and medical teams for their dedication in ensuring that our colleagues returned safely to their families,” Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman said.