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News24 reports that according to a former Lily Mine manager, management regularly monitored the mine’s crown pillar prior to its collapse resulting in a massive sinkhole and that it had exhibited no warning signs beforehand.
Testifying at the inquest into the 2016 tragedy that led to the deaths of three mineworkers, Bongani Rantho stated: "Areas which led to the crown pillar were sealed off. No one was allowed to access it unless under strict supervision. The inspection of the crown pillar at level 4 was part of the planning of the mine. We had to break the wall to gain access to level 4. We could only see some portions of the crown pillar, not all of it. We wanted to see if we could start declining, not below it [the crown pillar] but adjacent to it. There was no rambling near the crown pillar. If there were any, we would have been able to notice that. We didn't even see water coming through the crown pillar. The mine was stable." He went on to inform the inquest: "There was high safety culture. We had a full-time safety representative, and the labour structure focused on the safety and health of workers. Employees were compliant with most standards. Where there was non-compliance, behavioural steps would be taken. Before and during my tenure at the mine, there was no fatal incident reported." Rantho also added: “The standard of security was high for a small mine like ours. We didn't have a significant problem of illegal mining like our neighbours.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24
- Read too, Lily Mine tragedy was an eye-opener on how to avoid future disasters, inquest hears, at News24
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page