Multinational miner Sibanye-Stillwater has confirmed that a shaft incident occurred on May 22 at its Kloof 7 sub-shaft at the Kloof gold mining operation in South Africa, which has resulted in 260 employees being confined to the area. 

Initial investigations show that the Kloof 7 sub-shaft rock winder skip door opened at the loading point on level 39, impacting levels 40 and 41 below this point. The open door caused some damage at level 35.

The work to make this safe has been completed, but, following a detailed risk assessment, it was decided that employees should remain at the sub-shaft station until it is safe to proceed to the surface, to avoid walking long distances at this time.

The company says it is actively implementing its safety and shaft examination procedures, and once this is completed, it would start hoisting employees to surface. It is estimated that all affected employees will be brought to surface around midday on May 23.

“All 260 employees have been accounted for, are safe and have been provided with food,” the company says. 

Meanwhile, union the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has issued a statement calling for full accountability from Sibanye-Stillwater, citing "management’s failure to maintain emergency escape infrastructure, delayed provision of food and water and a pattern of deadly negligence at Sibanye operations". 

While no injuries have been reported thus far, AMCU says the incident exposes the risks faced by mineworkers in deep-level operations. 

“This is not simply an operational mishap. It is a failure of duty, planning and foresight. An emergency escape route is not a theoretical policy requirement. It is a lifeline. And in this case, it was allowed to fall into disrepair," AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa asserts. 

The union has also expressed its concern over the delayed disclosure of the incident. 

"This is not an isolated incident. As of today, 32 mineworkers have died in South Africa’s mining industry in 2025 alone. Sibanye’s Kloof operations have a long and deadly track record. In October 2023, three workers died in a fall-of-ground at Kloof 4 shaft. In 2018, seven workers were killed in a seismic event, also at Kloof," AMCU points out. 

The union has sent its National Health and Safety team to the site to address the issue. 

In a separate statement, union UASA says it will work closely with the company's mine management and stakeholders to ensure that the affected workers are rescued and that the health and safety challenges involved in this incident are addressed accordingly. 

"Mining-related incidents are a devastating reality to many workers and families. UASA fully supports its affected members, all workers and Sibanye-Stillwater during this challenging time," it states. 

The union has also called on the Mine Health and Safety Council, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and all stakeholders to step in and assist the company.