Ninth anniversary of Lily Mine tragedy commemorated in Barberton
Action SA said the aim of the event was to apply pressure on the government, the NPA and the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court, to hold those responsible for the tragedy accountable.
It is has been nine years since the Lily Mine tragedy struck.
On February 5, 2016, Yvonne Mnisi, Solomon Nyerende and Pretty Nkambule had been in a container when the mine collapsed and swallowed it whole, trapping them inside.
The crown pillar located between underground levels three and four collapsed and caved into the old underground workings below.
A commemoration was held on Wednesday, February 5, at the Lily Mine campsite, in honour of the three victims. The programme included a prayer session and a formal anniversary programme.
On the day of the commemoration, however, there were also some protests in the area. The road to the commemoration was partially blocked, but this did not impact the attendance. By the time publication, it was unclear who was staging the protests, or for what reason.
Meanwhile, the three victims’ families say they remain without closure, and dearly long to have their bodies returned.
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On Monday, Rose Mkabi, Mnisi’s mother, said they have been camping in tents on a mountain outside the mine since the incident occurred, and they will continue to wait for the day the container is retrieved. She said matters have not changed for the families since 2016.
“We feel pain knowing that they are still underground, and the pain won’t go away. Our wish is for them to be removed from underground. They have been there for so long.”
Mkabi said she doesn’t understand why her child is forced to continue staying at work, while employees everywhere else are able to go home. “It is time for her to come home, too. She can’t stay there forever.”
Elmon Mnisi, Yvonne’s father, said he will not believe the three victims are dead until he sees their remains.
“We just want them to be removed. We do not care how they look when they come out; we will welcome them. We can’t even say we are waiting for their remains, since we have not seen proof that they are dead,” he said.
Harry Mazibuko, the families’ representative, said they have lost trust in the government, and that they feel betrayed because the container has not been retrieved. He said they feel unsettled, because they keep receiving information that keeps changing.
“We were told they cannot remove the container, and then they said it was possible. If so, they should remove them! We are only interested in the container’s retrieval, so that if they are dead we can have closure.”
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According to Action SA, the commemoration’s aim was to seek justice and to renew calls for accountability, urging the government and the National Prosecuting Authority to put pressure on the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court to hold those responsible accountable.
Action SA’s leader, Herman Mashaba, said as long as the party exists, the Lily Mine Tragedy will not be forgotten. “Some people accused me of politicising the Lily Mine matter. I am proud to deal with it politically, because it is a political matter.
For those who thought that people would forget about Lily Mine, I am giving you the assurance that for as long as I live, for as long as Action SA is here and that container is not out, this matter is not going to be forgotten,” he said.
