[miningmx.com] — Frans Barker, Chief Operating Officer of the Chamber of Mines (CoM), has died after a short illness.
“It was with considerable regret and great sadness that I received the news from Dr Barker’s family that he had passed away,” CoM CEO Bheki Sibiya said in a statement on Monday.
“Though we were aware of his illness, Dr Barker’s passing came as a shock to many of us who have known and worked with him. For me personally, his death has robbed me of an experienced and dedicated colleague who had served the Chamber and the mining industry with distinction in many areas of critical importance.”
The funeral arrangements are not yet known.
Barker was initially appointed at the CoM as Deputy Labour Relations Adviser in 1995. An economist by profession, he is a former Deputy President of Business Unity South Africa and chairperson of the National Manpower Commission.
