Another death has been reported at a Harmony Gold mine. The company said the loss of life is due to a fall of ground at its Joel mine in the Free State province.
“We are devastated by another loss of life and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of our beloved employee. We are like a family at Harmony; we care deeply about each person. Our safety strategy and culture include both systemic and humanistic factors and controls. These controls are designed to avoid incidents, protect our employees and have to be adhered to at all times. No working area will be accessed unless it has been declared safe”, said Beyers Nel, chief executive officer of Harmony.
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The 5th of June 2025 has been declared a Day of Safety across all Harmony’s South African operations to engage with the company’s employees and stakeholders, and to reflect on the Company’s safety practices at each of its mines.
“Our Day of Safety is not simply a pause, it is a call to action”, said Nel.
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This latest incident follows a series of fatal events in recent months. Earlier this year, three employees succumbed to their injuries sustained in a fall of ground accident also at Joel Mine, which is near Theunissen in the Free State Province.
Harmony Gold also reported the death of an employee who sustained injuries in another fall-of-ground incident at its Mponeng Mine on 20 February 2025. Earlier that month, on 4 February, the company experienced two separate fatalities after a mining incident at a development end at Doornkop Mine in Soweto, Gauteng, leading to a temporary suspension of blasting operations at the site.
In a previous statement, the gold mining company said achieving zero harm remains a priority at all of their operations, and they remain fully committed to this goal.