A week before Lebogang Maake burnt to death in a horror mining accident in Phalaborwa last week, he told his family how worried he was about safety at the mine.
"He said the safety was poor but there was no way he could leave because he had a family and children to feed," Maake's brother, Jerry Malatji, told the Sunday Times this week.
Maake, 37, was one of six miners who died in the underground fire at the Palabora Mining Company last Sunday. It was caused by a conveyor belt catching alight.
The incident has brought to 54 the number of miners who have died on duty this year - 21 of whom died at the Sibanye-Stillwater gold mine - and has sparked calls to improve safety measures.
Malatji said his brother, who was married with three children, had often complained about safety in the copper mine."A large number of the workers have complained about safety and my brother was one of those. He was an activist and a unionist who was not afraid to speak. He told me the mine cared less about workers' safety."
While mine management said this week it complied with safety regulations, a lack of protective gear and poor ventilation and visibility at the mine were highlighted by most people who spoke to the Sunday Times.
Mpho Mahlasela, the uncle of Shaun Mashigo, 26, who also died in the fire, said the deaths could have been prevented."Today we are facing a situation where mines choose profits before the safety of their workers. We can't rely on politicians to come with solutions because they have interests in these mines. The number of deaths in these mines keeps on rising but these ministers are just lamenting instead of taking action."
Mahlasela said his nephew had been a dedicated, ambitious and goal-driven young man who had dreamt of improving his life.
Mashigo was so badly burnt that his mother, Kedibone, said earlier this week she could identify him only by his name tag.
Tiyisani Mayindi, whose 60-year-old father Vula Mayindi died in the fire, said his dad had been everything to him.
"He was supposed to retire last year but he took an extension for a year, and now this. He didn't deserve to die."
The other victims were Peter Selowa, 32, Kgotso Sekgobela, 29, and Russel Warne, 24.
Mashigo and Selowa were operators for A-Z Conveyors, a company contracted by Palabora Mining. Sekgobela and Maake were operators for Palabora Mining. Warne was a co-ordinator for the mine and Mayindi a truck operator.
According to the Minerals Council South Africa, 142 workers have died in mines across the country over the past 18 months.Palabora Mining spokeswoman Lydia Radebe said a number of workers had been rescued from the fire.
Responding to allegations of poor safety, she said the mine had "complied with its legislative obligation to issue to employees appropriate personal protective equipment".
"Allegations, at this juncture, regarding 'a lack of PPE' [personal protection equipment] are purely speculative and will be one of the aspects that will be considered during the mine's investigation. Also, allegations regarding poor ventilation are purely speculative," said Radebe.
Work is suspended at the mine as the investigation continues. The six miners were due to be buried this weekend. Limpopo police have confirmed that an inquest docket has been opened.Wits Mining Institute director Professor Fred Cawood said such accidents were a "wake-up call".
"Those involved in these mine accidents were not just miners, they were parents and breadwinners. It worries us as an industry. Mining is a complex business which involves many people operating in harsh, extreme environments," he said.
"Significant efforts continue to be made by everyone in the industry to try and ensure a safe working environment, and the recent increase in fatalities is worrying.
We can always do more on safety, and improving safety is certainly a critical focus area for the university and its partners."Minerals Council South Africa spokeswoman Charmane Russell said it was concerned about the rising fatality trend after more than 20 years of an almost uninterrupted decrease in fatality rates.
"The current situation is unsatisfactory. The Minerals Council is intensifying its work with members to address both the spate of recent accidents and the need to eliminate all accidents and incidents at work," said Russell.
Asked what could be done to resolve the situation, she said there was no single solution. Intensive investigations were being undertaken around each accident and "their outcomes will provide greater insight and guidance on the way forward"...