ActionSA promises support for families of deceased Lily Mine workers

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ActionSA says it will support the families of the three Lily Mine workers, whose bodies remain underground, until their remains are retrieved.

Pretty Nkambule, Yvonne Mnisi and Solomon Nyirenda died when the container they were working in was buried when the ground caved in, in 2016.

The Mnisi, Nkambule and Nyirenda families are remembering their loved ones who were killed in the mine disaster in 2016.

“It’s quite painful when we get into this day, because all the pictures, memories but we do believe that one day we will get closure,” says Pretty Nkambule’s brother Sifiso Mavuso.

Last year, the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court found that the mine, police and the Department of Mineral Resources can be held liable for the deaths of the three mineworkers.

ActionSA says government has failed families by not retrieving the remains of the three deceased. The party is legally supporting the families.

“We have provided legal assistance; we are responsible for exposing the lies that the container cannot be retrieved. Remember the mine management and government lied to us that the container cannot be retrieved. Our legal team exposed them, we continue to support them, our team during the week they will get us the next step right now the police, NPA, mine management and mineral resource are in contempt of three court orders,” says ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba.

Business rescue

After years of legal action, involving the independent creditor, Arqomanzi, Lily Mine’s parent company Vantage Goldfields and business rescue practitioners, Arqomanzi is confident that the mine will be reopened.

“The only way can be recovered is when the creditor can reconvene by the practitioner and have their vote on the plan that they want for the future of the mine. Our impression is that our plan will be adopted in the business rescue and we can have control of the two mines. Our first objective is to start the development, the rapid access that be from surface to the five level and we will launch a rescue mission to locate the container,” says Arqomanzi’s Neil Herrick.

The families and former workers are also hopeful.

“It is promising because the creditor is confident and now, I don’t have stress, but I’m waiting for the day they will start operating,” says Themba Mnisi, Mnisi’s father.

“There’s a glimmer of hope because we are done with the litigation so now, we are waiting for the BRPs to convene and creditors decided they must do it and the court say they must do it,” says former Lily Mine worker Harry Mazibuko.

Both ActionSA and Arqomanzi hope the mine will be reopened this year.

Lily Mine | Marking 8 years since the mining disaster that claimed 3 lives: Neil Herrick