Safety cover-up claims rock Sibanye bus contractor

A WORKPLACE injury at the Bapotrans Bus depot at Sibanye Stillwater Mine in the North West Province has uncovered a web of contradictions and questionable handling of incidents, raising urgent concerns about safety protocols and accountability at Unitrans Passenger.

On July 1, 2025, workshop assistant Theo Tiro seriously injured his left ring finger while removing the stabiliser bar from bus 5041 at the Karee workshop. What seemed like a simple accident report has since exposed troubling differences in the official statements given by Theo, workshop manager Reeds Mkumbira, and diesel mechanic Johan Delport.

According to Tiro, he was working alone on the stabilizer bar when it suddenly fell, injuring his finger. He reported the injury immediately and received first aid from Mkumbira before being taken to a local doctor. Medical reports later indicated the injury required surgery, leading to hospital admission and several weeks off work.

Mkumbira’s account paints a similar but strategically nuanced picture. He describes receiving the injury report from Johan Delport, not Tiro, at 10:50 am, rushing to the site, and administering first aid himself. He said Tiro initially reported working with Delport, but Delport was not present at the moment of injury. Mkumbira also disclosed that when discussing the injury’s seriousness with senior staff, there was concern about reporting the incident to the mine, fearing reputational damage.

According to a statement made under oath, Mkumbira indicated that he reached out to a person known as Hati and told him that there was an injury on duty.

“I also explained to Hati that I have already rendered first aid, but wanted to know from Hati if this incident must be reported or what. Hati said to me that he cannot make that call and I should speak to Rantsho [Molotja],” the statement reads.

The doctor found the injury was more serious than first thought, requiring surgery. This exposed possible protocol breaches and discrepancies meant to protect the company's reputation.

Delport’s statement introduces another layer of complexity. Delport asserts that he instructed Theo to remove the stabiliser bar and that they were working together. However, when the injury occurred, he claims he was assisting another bus and thus not present. Most notably, Delport alleges that Mkumbira instructed both men to state that they worked together at the time.

Mkumbira was taken through a disciplinary process and subsequently fired from the company for the role he played in the matter. This incident shines a harsh light on safety culture within Unitrans Passenger operations. Testimonies suggest a workplace environment vulnerable to pressures that may encourage less-than-transparent reporting and potential endangerment of workers.

Civil and labour rights advocates argue that injuries in hazardous environments demand full transparency to foster real improvements and prevent future harm. The apparent inconsistencies and managerial instructions to alter factual accounts indicate systemic issues needing urgent address.

This was not the first incident. In June 2024, a similar incident occurred when Kutlwano Taukobong’s middle finger was caught between a bus axle and a bakkie cab while working at the Karee Bus Depot. He was taken to Bapong Clinic, and that part was never reported when Sibanye did its investigation. The incident was similar to the one that resulted in Mkumbira’s dismissal.

“We feel like the company is not treating the matters the same. Why were those involved in the Kutlwano accident not disciplined? They had a personal vendetta against Reeds,” said an employee. "Whenever we raise issues, there is this looming fear of retaliation. It's like speaking up could cost us our jobs or put us in a worse position," the employee added, highlighting the atmosphere of intimidation and fear that seems to persist at the workplace.

Taukubong declined to comment on the matter. Questions were sent to him on WhatsApp, and instead of responding to them, he wanted to know who had referred the reporter to him.

Sources within the organisation have reported a culture of incidents doctoring to protect the company and the withholding of certain information from the mine. A source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, recalled an incident in October 2024.

Again in October 2024, at around 03:15, bus 16278 allegedly caught fire at the Mooinooi turning point. According to WhatsApp text messages seen by the publication, “driver Mashigo reported he just saw a fire and he did not know the cause of the fire”.

In February this year, in another incident, bus 59104 almost caught fire due to a cloth that had been left in the engine bay. The incident was posted on the company’s WhatsApp group, with Solly describing the incident and move as “negligence from whoever was assigned to work here”.

Instead of addressing the issues that led to the incident, they were allegedly swept under the rug, and the issue was not reported to the mine. Within a span of four months, three near-miss fires occurred, underscoring a pattern of ongoing negligence rather than isolated incidents. The most recent event saw bus 5980 almost burn in the yard at the EPL Depot. This timeline of consecutive near-disasters highlights systemic risks and raises urgent questions about accountability and safety protocols at the company.

While sifting through communications among Bapotrans Management and the team, the publication uncovered instances of scripts being prepared to mislead the mine and its investigators looking into reported incidents.

In one WhatsApp text from Roelof Spence, he tells the team that is going to the ICAM what to say.

“Evening all, the team that is going to the ICAM tomorrow. Here is your script:

Fire was caused by the lappie alone.Whilst the lappie was between the gear lever and boot, a piece was hanging down into the turbo and manifold, which, with extreme heat set alight and burned upwards.Corrective is replacing the boot, 5 done, 2 to go.An overboot is being designed as the current boots pull out. Design should be available tomorrow/Monday.Short term (2months at least 13 manual buses will be removed. We will try and make a plan with the balance, which reduces are risks. We will sign off on this plan, but all 13 should be gone by the end of June. Lappie Campaign, where everyone is trained. Security to have a check in departure for lappies at the gear lever — Rantsho and Safety to drive.(sic)

Bapotrans is no stranger to controversy. In 2020, the company’s manager was accused of racism. A tweet @MolapoSererostate: In 2018 March 27, the manager of the Bapotrans bus company at Bapong Marikana called black drivers and mechanics monkeys and baboons, but justice was never served until the employees who protested against him were dismissed on the 16th of this month.”

Bapotrans failed to respond to specific questions that were directed to all the employees mentioned. Questions sent to them were directed to their legal advisor, who indicated that the company had barred them from replying individually and instead, it would respond on their behalf.

In his response, Director Derek Lewis said the Company has a clearly defined and well-documented Health and Safety Management System that aligns fully with the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Mine Health and Safety Act, and relevant industry legislation.

He added that all employees are trained in safety procedures, and all incidents are thoroughly investigated through structured, formalised processes.

“The Company fosters a culture of transparency and accountability. All investigations are handled in accordance with company policy and applicable legislation and are often supported by independent third-party professionals to ensure objectivity and fairness.

“All disciplinary matters are conducted in strict accordance with our internal policies, which are compliant with the Labour Relations Act and best practice standards. Investigations, hearings, and disciplinary enquiries are managed with the assistance of external labour consultants or legal professionals to ensure impartiality, due process, and fairness. Each case is evaluated on its own merits and handled independently,” he said.

He, however, declined to comment on the issues. “Please note that we are not at liberty to disclose specific employee-related details or medical information pertaining to individuals, due to our obligation to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act.

“This includes matters involving individuals referenced in your questions, such as Mr. Theo Tiro, Mr. Kutlwano Taukobong, and Mr. Mkumbira. The Company remains committed to cultivating a workplace culture that values integrity, fairness, safety, and respect. We take allegations of misconduct, discrimination, or unethical behaviour seriously, and these are addressed through formal reporting and grievance mechanisms.

“Where necessary, investigations are escalated, and corrective action is taken in line with our internal policies and the law. Furthermore, we maintain open communication channels across departments, including the use of formal safety meetings, audits, and digital platforms, to coordinate and respond effectively to incidents,” he said.

Sibanye Stillwater’s Vice President: Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs, James Wellsted, said they were not aware of any incident report doctoring, but they take such allegations seriously. “If there are cases of report doctoring, this would be a breach of our Ethics policy, and disciplinary action will be taken,” he said.

Wellsted added that the Tiro incident was reported immediately to both Bapotrans and Sibanye Stilwater management teams. “An instruction was issued to stop all maintenance work on buses. An In-loco investigation was conducted on the same day and arrangements were made with Bapotrans maintenance teams to have a mass safety meeting at Karee bus depot on the 2nd July 2025,” he said.

Wellsted further added that the mine has no evidence of reported fires on buses. This, despite the publication being in possession of WhatsApp messages that include the script of what Unitrans employees have to say in their report.

“We can find no evidence of this from our side. All injuries are investigated, and incidents occurring on the operations footprints are recorded. Please provide evidence for this claim, and we will investigate,” he said.

Mkumbira, when contacted for comment, painted a different picture. Through his lawyers, he confirmed the contents of the affidavit that the publication has, which contradict those of Delport and Tiro. Quizzed on why he was hesitant to report the incident, he said: “There was hesitation to officially report the incident because of concerns about the company’s reputation.

“In January, bus 5968 almost caught fire. Following that incident, Mr. Roelof Spence called an urgent meeting in the boardroom. During the meeting, we were threatened as managers and told we would be ‘cleaned from top to bottom’. Shortly before Theo’s incident, bus 16276 suffered a centre bearing failure on the propshaft at Mamba, nearly catching fire.

“Sibanye inspectors found bolts missing, oil leaks, and a broken centre bolt. Mr. Spence called another urgent meeting the same afternoon, where we were shouted at and not allowed to explain the technical causes. He emphasised the importance of the contract and threatened us again, asking if we could count to half a billion.

“In October 2024, I was instructed by the depot manager to cover up another bus fire incident (bus 16278). I assisted an electrician with burnt wires and washed away fire extinguisher residue to conceal the damage. These incidents created a culture of fear and cover-ups, making staff hesitant to report issues truthfully.”

Mkumbira further maintained that Delport and Tiro were not working together, but due to a shortage of artisans, assistants often performed artisan-level tasks. “I had requested additional artisans earlier in the year, but approvals were stopped. The pressure for bus availability to meet Sibanye’s contract standards was extreme.

“We faced daily engine failures and had to replace 5–6 bus springs each day due to road conditions and overloading. Theo ended up performing artisan work without proper disclosure in order to protect the company’s reputation. When Sibanye officials visited the Karee depot, staff often stopped working out of fear of being caught doing tasks incorrectly.

“I had to persuade them not to hide. The depot manager instructed us not to disclose that Theo did not see a doctor, and this misrepresentation was passed on in the report to the mine,” he said.

While evidence shows that victimisation is rife in the organisation, Mkumbira is adamant that he was treated unfairly.

“I was sacrificed to protect others. Mr Spence never corrected the false statement to the DMR and insisted on maintaining the cover-up. Evidence shows that this cover-up culture continued. Yet, despite the false reporting, Johan and Theo kept their jobs, while I and the depot manager lost ours.

“Kultwano was taken to Bapong Clinic, but this was not disclosed during his ICAM. At the time, Kultwano was not yet onboarded on the Sibanye system and therefore was not legally allowed to work on the mine premises. Despite this breach, no action was taken against the former depot manager or workshop manager by Mr Spence.

“Kultwano and others even started working in April 2024 without contracts, only receiving salaries for April and May later on. Again, no disciplinary measures were taken against management. This raises questions: Why was I treated differently? Why did the rules not apply equally to previous managers? Was there a hidden agenda in my case? During Sibanye's investigations, we were given scripted communication to protect the company’s reputation. We were instructed not to deviate, over-disclose, or provide information outside of the agreed narrative,” he said.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) sent investigators to the mine to look into some of the incidents, but sources claim that the investigators are working with the officials at Bapotrans to doctor reports.

Last month, investigators were allegedly dispatched to look into the Tiro incident. According to the sources, Tiro wanted to spill the beans but was denied that opportunity. “Tiro wanted to give the correct details of the incident during a meeting with the DMR investigators, but was stopped. There were three other people in the meeting, and when that happened, they were told to go outside. When they came back, he stuck to the original misleading statement that he made,” said the source.

The DMRE failed to respond to questions sent to them. However, Wellsted denied any collusion or doctoring of reports taking place.

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