Today, February 5, marks the 10-year anniversary of the death of three employees at Lily Mine in Barberton.

Yvonne Mnisi, Solomon Nyirenda and Pretty Nkambule were inside a lamp room when the crown pillar, which was between levels three and four of the mine, collapsed on February 5, 2016.

The crown caved into the old underground workings of the mine and the lamp room was buried under rubble.

Seventy-six employees, who were also trapped underground following the incident, were rescued through a narrow ventilation shaft.

ALSO READ: Trial of former Kruger ‘crown prince’ postponed again

Efforts to rescue Mnisi, Nyirenda and Nkambule proved fruitless and had to be called off due to the danger posed by the unstable terrain. To date, their remains have not been recovered.

Along with the families of the three victims, ActionSA leaders Herman Mashaba, Dr Mbahare Kekana, Athol Trollip, Lerato Ngobeni and Thoko Mashiane went to the offices of the South African Human Rights Commission in Mbombela on Wednesday, February 4.

Their intent was to lodge a complaint against the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).

“As things stand, the NPA is in contempt of court, because it has failed to do what it was ordered to do,” said Mashaba. “When the families tried to open cases against the DMRE at the Barberton police station, they were turned away.”

ActionSA leaders Athol Trollip, Herman Mashaba, Dr Mbahare Kekana and Thoko Mashiane in Mbombela. > Photo Riot HlatshwayoAccording to Trollip and Ngobeni, the party is alarmed that assistance was provided outside South Africa, while citizens are ignored.

“We shall strive for the retrieval of our people from underground. The country was able to retrieve other victims in a similar situation in a foreign country. This government is even good in the retrieval of the zama zamas trapped inside mines, despite that they are illegal, leaving these three victims who are South Africans,” said Ngobeni.