Johannesburg - The death of a Lonmin employee and the injury of three others at the company's platinum mine in Marikana, North West, should be independently investigated, premier Thandi Modise said on Sunday.
"We wish to acknowledge the mine’s commitment to investigate the incident, but insist that an independent investigation by the department of mineral resources will be more credible," she said in a statement.
This would ensure that there was no negligence or failure on the company's part to adhere to set occupational health and safety standards.
Lonmin said in a statement on Saturday that the death and injuries occurred on Saturday morning.
Modise said that while Lonmin had impressive safety results, recording the lowest fatality rate among its peers in the platinum industry, every incident presented an opportunity to learn so that future accidents could be avoided.
She sent her condolences to mineworker's family and wished the injured miners a speedy recovery.