‘Hope is the only thing we are left with’

LOW’S CREEK – Missing Lily Mine employee Pretty Nkambule lived in humble circumstances. The one-room dwelling she shared with her partner, Mr Christopher Mazibuko, and the couple’s four children, is attached to other muddy rooms in the yard.

Their stark domestic environment is replicated in many mining communities around the country. Pretty Nkambule does not own much, but her treasured possessions, including a small television set, a fridge and a stove, are crammed into the single room.

When Pretty left her home on Friday February 5 for her morning shift at the Lily Mine, no one thought she would not be coming home by nightfall. Her children had become used to her irregular shifts, but were confident she would be home in time to make them supper. Instead, they have been waiting 14 days to hear her approaching footsteps. They are starting to realise that something is seriously wrong.

Her sister, Ms Phindile Nkambule, said the two older children asked to be taken to the mine to see for themselves what had happened to their mother. “They wanted to see the situation with their own eyes. Unfortunately, they were turned away at the gate.”

The youngest of Pretty Nkambule’s children is just seven months old. What makes the Lily Mine disaster even more tragic for Pretty’s family is that she wasn’t even supposed to be at work at that time. She was off duty that morning, but was asked to fill in for a colleague who was sick.

Her partner, Mr Christopher Mazibuko, works at the nearby Barbrook Mine. He told Lowvelder that he needed to remain strong for the sake of their children.

“I am everything to them now, I am both mother and father to our four kids. I have faith that they will see their mother soon,” he said.

The family of six survives on a combined salary of R16 000 and Mazibuko was planning to finish paying lobola for his partner of more than 14 years, so that they could marry.

When Lowvelder visited Pretty’s home, one of her sons (4) was playing in an old car wreck in the yard, his young mind seemingly oblivious to the gravity of the situation. The mood was sombre in the house. It was clear that everyone is badly affected by Pretty’s absence.

Phindile painted a picture of a family that is under emotional siege. She said her sister was not only the family’s breadwinner, but also a moral pillar. Now, they are faced with a situation where they all have to think for themselves. The future has become a frightening prospect.

“My mother is in pain, she keeps drifting in and out of reality. To her all of this is a dream. She keeps hoping someone will wake her and tell her everything is alright,” Phindile said.

She added that the family would accept the worst, if Pretty was found to have died in the disaster, and family members would take care of her four children.

Ms Yvonne Mnisi, who was also in the container when it was sucked into the sinkhole, is a second-generation mine worker. Her father, Mr Themba Mnisi, also used to work at Lily Mine.

“I always assumed I would be the one to be trapped underground if there was an accident at the mine. I never imagined my daughter would suffer this terrible fate,” he said.

Mineral resources minister, Mr Mosebenzi Zwane, said the families of the three trapped miners would each receive R200 000.

This does not sit well with them. Phindile spoke in a hoarse voice, punctuated by hurt.

“Pretty is the only sister I have. No amount of money will ever replace her.

“We don’t want their money. All we want is to see our loved ones alive again,” she said.

The family members of the missing mine workers have scarcely left the mine in the two weeks since the disaster. They pray and sing, and then fall into an uneasy sleep at night.

Church services are held regularly to lend them spiritual support. During the services they hum to the tune of gospel hymns, with their heads tilted to one side.

The wind lifts and ebbs, carrying their heart-rending grief to the ears and into the hearts of the media representatives stationed outside the mine gate.

It is hard to remain objective in the face of so much pain.