Thabo Mokoena, Mpumalanga Cosatu’s provincial secretary, said the matter is in Nelspruit High Court, and they marched so they would be able to display how many people have been affected by the closure of the Lily mine.

“We want the people inside the court building to look outside the window and be able to see just how people are affected by the decision they have to make. We are here to raise our voice and to bring attention to the court, that they should be considerate to the plight of these workers,” he explained.

“We are here to advise the court to expedite the process of the reopening of Lily Mine. We know that there is a case opened that seek to oppose those who want to open the mine. We think those that have been appointed and selected to open the mine have the capacity. The investors have complied with the conditions that workers are expecting.

They have committed that all workers would return when the mine is reopened; they will be paid retrospectively all that is owed to them from the first day since the mine was closed. They have made a commitment that they will pay all the creditors who have been owed by the mine.

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“The investors also promised that in the next six months they would work to recover the container with the bodies of those who have submerged because of the disaster,” he said.

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Mokoena said they did not entertain investors that do not have the capacity to open Lily Mine.