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News24 reports that despite findings showing that Pretty Nkambule, Yvonne Mnisi and Solomon Nyirenda died after being trapped in a container in the Lily Mine tragedy, their families are adamant they are still alive.
They were last seen on 5 February 2016 inside the lamp room in the container before it sunk some 60-metres underground when the crown pillar collapsed. On Thursday, Magistrate Annamarie van der Merwe handed down her finding in the inquest to determine who was liable for the 2016 incident near Barberton. She said that although no bodies were recovered, the evidence presented in court during the inquest held in November 2021 and February 2023 proved beyond reasonable doubt that the three deaths occurred. "The court determines that the deceased person[s] died at the time of the collapse and that the sheer weight of the rocks and debris during the collapse caused their instant deaths," Van der Merwe said. However, their grief-stricken families remain in denial and believe their loved ones are still alive. Nyirenda's mother, Fiona, said she would only believe that her son was dead when she saw his remains. Together with families of the other two workers, Fiona set up a camp at the mine premises. "I believe God will answer our prayers. We have been praying all this time, and I know it's not in vain. We'll leave the camp on the day our children are retrieved from that hole," she indicated. Richard Spoor, a lawyer representing the families, said the judgment was a step in the right direction as it would hopefully bring comfort to the families that the three died immediately when the mine collapsed. "According to the findings of the inquest, they were not trapped underground for days as many of us feared," he pointed out.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Belinda Pheto at News24 (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page