Families of trapped Lily Mine workers perform rituals

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The families of the three mine workers whose remains are still trapped underground at Lily Mine near Barberton in Mpumalanga, have performed rituals and prayed at the site to mark eight years since Pretty Nkambule, Yvonne Mnisi and Solomon Nyarenda were buried underground when the mine collapsed.

The three were in a container above ground when it plunged into a sinkhole, trapping them underground.

The day started on a rocky note for the grieving families. Mine security refused to open the gate for the families to perform their rituals and prayers, which they frequently did with no hassles. It took the guards several minutes before allowing them to do so.

“We are frustrated and it is not for the first time, this one time we finally made our rituals and prayers for the first outside the gate. So, it very painful for us because the mine is not closed, it is operating illegally. There are thousands and thousands of illegal miners underground as we speak now, they blast anytime,” says family spokesperson Harry Mazibuko.

The families have expressed concern about the way they have been treated.

“There importance of this rituals is that we are having our own way. We speak to our loved ones who are not with us physically, it is the way we communicate with them and they tell us what needs to be done. If there is something that needs to be done and if we did it in a right way through our dreams,” says Pretty Nkambule’s brother Sfiso Mavuso.

“This company what it’s doing to us as families is not fair, our children are still trapped underground, they run away. We are black people, we believe in our customs. There are times where we want to communicate with our children but the company is making it impossible, they are very disrespectful,” says Yvonne Mnisi’s father Elmond Mnisi.

Meanwhile, the families have doubts that the mine will reopen as announced by the Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe last month.

“We actually don’t know; the last communication was from the then Minister Gwede Mantashe when he announced to the world that the mine will reopen by the end of July 2024. Our prayers are going to be answered, there is going to be a solution we are seeking. So, we are still waiting but since then there is no communication from the business rescuers as far as business is concern,” Mazibuko added.

It is yet to be seen what will happen to this mine and the remains are still trapped underground.