The Minerals Council South Africa has issued a response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Monday that the country would be entering a national lockdown for a period of at least three weeks, to suppress the spread of Covid-19 in the country.

The council said it is seeking further detail from the government as to how the lockdown affects mining operations in the country. South Africa is one of the world’s largest mining economies, and a major global gold producer.

A number of companies have already suspended operations in South Africa in the wake of the lockdown, including AngloGold Ashanti, who operate the Mponeng gold mine.