Protest upstages Lily Mine memorial service

Lily and Barbrook miners and residents of Louieville took to the R38 demanding that Lily Mine management resume the rescue mission for their three trapped colleagues.

The protesters’ anger was intensified by the one-year anniversary of the accident, and the fact that the mine wanted to host a remembrance service on Sunday.

The protesters burned tyres and blocked parts of the road when the demonstration started in the early hours of Friday.

When Barberton Times arrived at the scene, police were there to monitor the situation, and motorists were allowed to use the road.

Last year on February 5 a shaft at the main entrance to the mine collapsed.

Ninety mine workers were trapped underground. Eighty-seven were rescued, but three remained underground. Yvonne Mnisi, Pretty Nkambule and Solomon Nyarende were in a lamp-room container which fell into a sinkhole created by a collapsed crown pillar.

The search was stopped when the mine ran out of money.The protesters said the fact that the mine has still not secured funds after a year is one of the reasons why they feel they had to take their g Missing miners’ loved ones face daily strugglerievances to the streets.

According to the protesters, they did not understand why the mine would host a remembrance service without the people they would have hosted the service for.

Also read: Missing miners’ loved ones face daily struggle

They also said they want their salaries, which were not paid last year, and the money promised to the families by mineral resources minister, Mosebenzi Zwane.

After the accident, Zwane said the families of the three trapped miners would receive R200 000 each, and each of the miners who were rescued would receive R50 000.

According to Zwane, Vantage Goldfields is the party responsible to compensate miners and the families affected by the collapse a year ago.

“Vantage Goldfields and its business-rescue practitioner, Sturns, are liable for the promised compensation.

“Retrieving the lamp room in which the three miners were when the collapse occurred remained their primary concern.

“It is necessary for closure.We understand the the frustrations expressed by the families and the public at large regarding the time it has taken to conclude the the process.”

Representatives of the ANC, Cosatu, and EFF also attended the protest.

Thembisile Cathrine Shisani, EFF representative and PR councillor of Nkomazi Local Municipality (NLM), said, “We heard that people were protesting because they are not happy about what is happening at Lily Mine and we saw it fit to then imme-diately come here. When I arrived, I gave them a chance to share their grievances with me. I was here from the beginning.

“We attended several meetings that were held. I understand the issues they are raising, because they were promised by Msembenzi Zwane that a machine from overseas would come and remove the three who are stuck underground, but that did not happen.

“Now they are planning to perform rituals when people are still underground and I do not understand why they would do that.

“Our government is aware of this, and that is the reason why they do not want me to be here today, because they know I will speak the truth and shame the devil,” she said.

James Mhlabane, provincial organiser of Cosatu, said they were there to discuss issues that affect the workers.

“As Cosatu, we are not tolerating the remembrance service which the mine has planned.

“If they proceed with it, we will urge everyone not to attend because we want those people to be removed first.

“What we are also fighting for is the money the employees did not receive. We need our employers to pay out what is owed.

“We know the money is there, because we worked to make sure that it is generated.

“Our focus must also be placed on our enemy in this country. Our enemy is the capital system that we have.

” The people who have money, they do not want to consider us, they focus on themselves,” he said.

According to Elphaus Vilakazi, ANC councillor of ward 30, the protesters’ problems were caused by their employer at the mine.

“You did your part, worked for three months, and they did not pay out your salaries. If you had not reported for duty they would have fired you,”

he said.

According to Sabatha Nkosi, Lily Mine employee, it is time that the mine does something about the three workers and the management must pay out their salaries.

“Our reason for coming out to the road is because we want the management to explain why they are not removing them.”

NLM mayor, Thulisile Khoza, arrived later and informed the protesters that she would speak to the necessary stakeholders and the premier to address these issues.

The remembrance service did not take place on Sunday, as planned by the mine.

Rob Devereaux of Sturns could not be reached for comment.