The contract, signed in 2008, promised a $3.2 billion investment by China in a copper/cobalt mine and another $3 billion worth of infrastructure projects.

About 60% of the country’s $302 billion economy is reliant on energy produced from coal.

Mining companies have been pushing to develop their own power plants because of persistent power cuts imposed by state power utility Eskom.

Roscan's primary asset is the Kandiolé project, located east of B2Gold’s Fekola mine in West Mali.

South Africa’s mining industry contributes about 8% to the national gross domestic product.

An investigation into the cause of the incident, including the reasons the employee ventured into an area he should not have been in, will be carried out.