[SPEECH] WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES, MR JACOB MBELE | 2026 MINE HEALTH AND SAFETY TRIPARTITE SUMMIT | EMPEROR'S PALACE, KEMPTON PARK | 17–18 SEPTEMBER 2026
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This year’s Summit is particularly significant as we mark 30 years of the existence of the Mine Health and Safety Council. This milestone provides us with an important opportunity to reflect on the journey we have travelled together, the progress we have made, the knowledge we have generated, and the lessons we have learned in our collective pursuit of safer and healthier mines.
MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES
MR JACOB MBELE
2026 Mine Health and Safety Tripartite Summit Emperor's Palace, Kempton Park
17 -18 September 2026
Programme Director,
Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Mr. SG Mantashe, Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Ms. P Mgcina, Deputy Minister of Health, Dr M Phahla,
Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Mr. Mahlaule,
Leadership and representatives of organised business - ASPASA and Mineral Council,
Leadership and representatives of organised labour – AMCU, NUM, NUMSA, UASA and Solidarity,
Chief Inspector of Mines,
Mine Health and Safety Council Board Members,
The Acting CEO of the Mine Health and Safety Council, Representatives of Academic Institutions, Representatives of Professional Associations
Members of the media, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and gentlemen,
Including delegates who are joining through online platforms,
Good morning,
It is my honour and privilege to welcome you to the 2026 Mine Health and Safety Tripartite Summit.
This year’s Summit is particularly significant as we mark 30 years of the existence of the Mine Health and Safety Council.
This milestone provides us with an important opportunity to reflect on the journey we have travelled together, the progress we have made, the knowledge we have generated, and the lessons we have learned in our collective pursuit of safer and healthier mines.
Over the past three decades, the Mine Health and Safety Council has made an important contribution through research, the development of new knowledge,
innovation, appropriate technologies, guidelines and regulations that continue to support the goal of Zero Harm.
We acknowledge and appreciate this contribution.
At the same time, this milestone is not only an opportunity to look back. It is an opportunity to consider how we can use the strong foundation that has been built to respond more effectively to the challenges that continue to face our industry.
We meet here today as social partners who have been on this shared journey towards improving the health and safety of mineworkers.
This Summit therefore provides an opportunity to take stock of the progress we have made, reflect on the lessons of our experience, confront the areas where progress has not been sufficient, and strengthen our collective resolve to move forward.
We meet under the theme:
“Accelerating Innovation, Inclusion and Accountability Towards the Achievement of Zero Harm.”
The theme builds directly on the work and commitments we have undertaken together over the years.
It calls on us to maintain the momentum, strengthen what is working, and address those areas where our efforts have not yet delivered the outcomes we seek.
It also reminds us that the future of mining must be built on a foundation of responsible and sustainable development.
There is no doubt that mining in South Africa continues to offer significant economic opportunities. The sector remains a bedrock of our economy and a meaningful contributor to our country's development.
However, as we work to ensure that mining remains a leading and sustainable industry, we must pursue these opportunities responsibly and never at the expense of people's lives, health and dignity.
The long-term sustainability of the mining sector depends not only on growth, competitiveness and transformation, but also on how well we protect and care for its workforce.
A successful and sustainable mining industry must therefore be one in which people are protected, respected and able to return home safely at the end of every working day.
At the heart of this journey is a responsibility that remains unchanged: to protect the lives, health, safety and dignity of every mineworker.
Our goal is clear.
Zero Harm remains at the centre of our collective efforts.
The health and safety of mineworkers is a non-negotiable responsibility shared by all of us.
This important goal must continue to be reflected not only in our policies and commitments, but also in the decisions we make, the systems we strengthen and the actions we take every day.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Over time, we have established policies, systems, structures and programmes aimed at improving mine health and safety.
The task before us is to ensure that these interventions continue to translate into safer workplaces and better outcomes for mineworkers.
The achievement of Zero Harm requires continued collective ownership.
Government, employers, organised labour, mineworkers and all stakeholders must each play their part in strengthening a culture in which health and safety are embedded in every decision, every process and every level of leadership.
Ensuring the safety of mineworkers is not simply a compliance exercise.
It is an integral part of a productive, sustainable and profitable mining business. Progress has been made, but we cannot become complacent.
We must build on the progress achieved while remaining vigilant and responsive to areas of concern.
The industry has made important progress over time, including a sustained reduction in fatalities and injuries.
This progress demonstrates that the measures and interventions undertaken collectively can make a difference. It shows that where the right interventions are sustained and effectively implemented, meaningful improvements can be achieved.
However, the increase in fatalities this year is deeply concerning.
Behind every fatality is more than a statistic; it is a life lost, a family forever changed, colleagues left to grieve, and a community that carries the consequences long after the loss.
These trends are not simply performance indicators.
They represent people, and they demand urgent, increased and sustained focus. Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our task is to learn from what has worked, strengthen those interventions, and ensure that good practices are consistently applied across the industry.
Most importantly, we must continue to place greater emphasis on prevention.
Prevention is where we have the greatest opportunity to make a difference: by identifying risks before they result in harm, addressing weaknesses before they become incidents, and ensuring that the right controls are in place and working as intended.
Prevention requires strong systems, effective risk management and an empowered workforce.
It requires us to continuously assess whether the measures already in place remain effective, whether risks are being adequately identified and controlled, and whether these controls are being implemented consistently in practice.
We must therefore continue to strengthen prevention through effective systems, rigorous risk management and an empowered workforce.
Health and safety must remain a constant leadership priority.
Every workplace must protect the safety and dignity of all employees, including women employees, who have an equal right to work in environments that are safe, respectful and free from harm.
Inclusion must therefore be reflected not only in our commitments, but in the way workplaces are designed, managed and experienced by all employees.
Our focus must also extend beyond the immediate workplace to risks that have the potential to affect surrounding communities and the environment.
Prevention requires us to anticipate and address risks before they escalate, particularly where the consequences of an incident could extend far beyond the workplace.
We must continue to identify, assess and effectively manage the risks associated with residue deposits and tailings dams, ensuring that appropriate controls are in place and remain effective throughout their lifecycle.
These risks require continued vigilance, sound engineering and risk-management practices, effective monitoring, clear accountability and preparedness to act when warning signs emerge.
Innovation and Collaboration
Innovation and collaboration must accelerate our progress in improving health and safety in the mining industry.
We must continue to create platforms to share good practices, strengthen collaboration and develop practical programmes that benefit the industry as a whole.
Innovation should not be understood solely in terms of new technologies.
It must also encompass new approaches to risk management, improved ways of working, stronger collaboration, and more effective methods of translating research, knowledge and lessons learned into practical action.
True innovation is about finding better ways to anticipate and prevent harm.
It means challenging existing approaches, learning from experience, embracing new ideas and continuously looking for opportunities to improve how we identify, assess and manage risk.
We must also recognise the growing role of artificial intelligence in strengthening prevention.
AI has the potential to help us analyse large volumes of data, identify emerging patterns and risks, improve decision-making, and provide earlier warnings of conditions that could contribute to incidents.
It can support predictive approaches to risk management and help us make better use of the information that is already generated across the mining industry.
However, technology should never be viewed as a substitute for sound judgement, effective systems or an empowered workforce.
Its value lies in how responsibly and effectively we use it to support people, strengthen risk controls and prevent harm.
As an industry, we should therefore remain open to the opportunities presented by AI and other emerging technologies, while ensuring that their adoption is guided by safety, accountability, appropriate governance and practical value.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This Summit provides an important opportunity to take forward the work already undertaken; to reflect honestly on where we are; to acknowledge the progress that has been made; to confront the areas where we have fallen short; and to agree on how we can strengthen implementation going forward.
As with the previous summits, the programme has been structured to support this continued journey.
We will hear from various stakeholders, including the Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, the Department of Health, employers and organised labour in the mining sector.
Importantly, we will receive feedback on the progress made against the 2024 Summit milestones and related action-plan initiatives.
This will allow us to assess what has been achieved, what remains outstanding, and where additional effort is required.
We will also deliberate on the factors that may have constrained progress towards achieving our mine health and safety targets.
I therefore invite all of you to participate actively, openly and constructively in the discussions, engagements and breakaway sessions.
Let us use this Summit not only to reflect on where we are, but to strengthen the actions that will take us forward.
Let us ensure that the lessons of the past 30 years inform the next chapter of mine health and safety.
Let us ensure that innovation serves prevention.
Let us ensure that inclusion means that every mineworker is protected, respected and heard.
And let us ensure that accountability is reflected in what we do, not only in what we say.
Let me conclude my remarks by extending our heartfelt condolences to the families, colleagues and communities of all workers who have lost their lives in our sector.
We also wish a speedy and full recovery to mineworkers who have been injured in mine accidents or affected by occupational diseases.
I thank you, and I wish you all a productive, meaningful and successful 2026 Mine Health and Safety Tripartite Summit.
Thank you.