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Lily Mine families and workers are paid promised cash

BARBERTON, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 9: Family members of the three mineworkers who are trapped underground at the Lily Mine praying on February 9, 2016 in Barberton, South Africa. Two women, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Mabuza, and one man, Solomon Nyarenda, remain trapped in a metal container underground after a central pillar of ore, called a crown pillar, collapsed last Friday. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sowetan / Vathiswa Ruselo)..
BARBERTON, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 9: Family members of the three mineworkers who are trapped underground at the Lily Mine praying on February 9, 2016 in Barberton, South Africa. Two women, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Mabuza, and one man, Solomon Nyarenda, remain trapped in a metal container underground after a central pillar of ore, called a crown pillar, collapsed last Friday. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sowetan / Vathiswa Ruselo)..

Lump sum compensation payouts have been made to the families of mineworkers Pretty Nkambule‚ Solomon Nyerende and Yvonne Mnisi who were killed in a sinkhole tragedy at Lily Mine in Mpumalanga in February last year.

Confirmation of the payouts was made by the Congress of South African Trade Unions on Wednesday‚ which said it was "encouraged and delighted to see some positive developments taking place regarding the resolution of challenges facing workers at Lily Mine".

The families of the deceased miners have been paid R200‚000.

An amount of R10‚000 each has been paid so far to the 75 injured miners that were promised a payment of R50‚000.

Cosatu said it would "work to support the fundraising efforts to raise money so that workers can receive the additional R40‚000".

The mine has been paying the salaries of the three deceased miners to the families since the accident on a monthly basis. They are also receiving grants from government.

They were killed when the lamp room they were in plummeted in to the belly of the mine as a result of a sinkhole which formed on February 5 last year.

Efforts to recover their bodies have faced numerous delays‚ due to the complexity of the operation as well as cost. The mine‚ which requires an injection of funding to operate‚ was closed after the tragedy

In March this year‚ the Sowetan reported Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza visited the area and pledged to build 1‚000 RDP houses for the community of Louieville‚ which is adjacent to Lily Mine. He said the construction of the houses should also create employment for the locals‚ whose job prospects have worsened following the mine's closure.

There are about 6‚000 families living in the area. The completion of the 1‚000 RDP houses is planned for 2019.

- TMG Digital

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