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SABC News reports that a prayer ceremony was held ahead of the Lily Mine commemoration in remembrance of Pretty Nkambule, Yvonne Mnisi and Solomon Nyirenda.
The three were trapped underground when the crown pillar at the mine collapsed nine years ago. Their remains have never been retrieved. “When this time comes, it becomes difficult on the family’s side because it brings those memories. It brings those memories, like I remember very well on the February 5, 2016, that my daughter Yvonne was wearing this and was having this as a meal for a day. But till today, I’ve never seen her again. So it brings those memories. It’s an emotional day,” said Harry Mazibuko speaking on behalf of the families. An inquest conducted by the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court some years ago found that illegal mining led to the collapse of the mine. The court also found that owners of the mine, and different institutions such as the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), as well as the SAPS, should be held responsible. The inquest record was then referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. But, Mazibuko lamented that nothing much has happened since then. Meanwhile, some community members have accused political parties of using the tragic incident to garner votes, saying: “Since the mine collapsed many years ago, it remained closed … We are tired of people coming here to campaign. We have been jobless for almost ten years now, since the mine collapsed.” Some of the residents have threatened to embark on a protest action to demonstrate their frustration ahead of the commemoration.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mthobisi Mkhaliphi at SABC News
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