Next Thursday at midnight, the mines of South Africa will halt their production and for 21 days, the duration of the lockdown imposed on the entire country by the government of Cyril Ramaphosa. This is a historic decision, unprecedented in this major African mining country. But it was deemed essential to slow the spread of coronavirus, given the close proximity of employees in mines, many of which are underground in South Africa.

Mines at a standstill except for coal

The deposits will be put into maintenance to prevent, for example, them from being flooded. Only coal mines will continue to produce to supply what remains the country's primary source of electricity.

Salaries of South African miners

The mining sector weighs 25% in South African GDP, notes Claude Katemba, the director of Southern Africa Resource Watch, reached by RFI. And it employs half a million people, who find themselves out of work. The question will now arise of how to finance their salaries, which must be maintained. Mining companies may reach into their pockets to help the state.

In DRC production is not interrupted, for now

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is still unclear whether the state of emergency decreed by Félix Tshisekedi will have such drastic consequences. In the DRC, the mining sector is even more strategic: it contributes 80% to the state's revenues. Only certainty: connections between Kinshasa, the capital, and the provinces are interrupted. Two mining provinces, Haut Katanga and Lualaba, had already decided Monday to close their borders for 48 hours after two suspected cases of coronavirus.

Hygiene measures

But with no consequences for copper and cobalt production, according to the Congolese subsidiary of Glencore, reached by RFI. Kamoto Copper Company notes only "a temporary halt for the export of cobalt hydroxide and copper cathode". It says it has proceeded to an "increase in hygiene measures: work areas disinfected, hand-washing facilities, social distancing, temperature checks on site, restrictions on travel from areas outside Kolwezi…"

It remains to be seen whether prolonged border restrictions will allow companies to continue producing and thus employing personnel in these mining regions of Congo.