The family of one of the three workers who are trapped at Lily Mine Barbeton say they never received the money they were promised last year.
On February 5 last year, Lily Mine in Barberton collapsed, resulting in Solomon Nyerende, Pretty Nkambule, 25, and Yvonne Mnisi, 23, being trapped underground. A total of 76 miners were rescued through a mine shaft window the same day.
Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane promised the families of the three that they would each get R200000 as compensation from the mine whether their relatives were found dead or alive.
He also said the miners who were trapped would get R50000 each, which would come from the mine.
However, Pretty's family told Sowetan yesterday they never received any money from the company.
"We have not gotten anything from the mine," Nkambule's husband Christopher Mazibuko said.
"When we asked [about money] last year they said in six months time the money would be given to us.
"Why is he [Zwane] not talking to the mine or compensating us? He was the one who spoke about that," he said.
"We cannot talk much about the mine, they keep ignoring us; no calls, no money that they promised. We only got help from organisations that include the EFF that gave us food parcels on the 24th of December."
Mine manager Mike Begg responded to Sowetan' s query yesterday by SMS, which said: " Please contact Mr Devereux at Sturns."
Sturns, who is the mine's business rescuer, could not be reached as Devereux phone was off.
Zwane's spokesman Martin Madlala asked Sowetan to email him questions but he did not respond at the time of going to print. Mazibuko said they spent Christmas Day at the mine's gate.
"We could not rejoice while we had our loved one gone. So, as the families of the three, and some members of the community, we cooked some food and went to spend our Christmas at the gates of the mine."
Nkambule had four children, with the youngest being eight months old. The children now stay with relatives who support them.
Nkambule was the breadwinner in her family. She was also paying fees for her two brothers at university.
Her siblings, Anderson Mavuso and Sfiso Mavuso, said they did not have money to cover the fees.
"I'm studying towards teaching in the University of Free State, while my brother Sfiso is studying towards a bachelor of science at the University of Limpopo.
"Life is not easy as our sister was the only person working and we all depended on her income," Anderson said. We both passed last year. But our mother had borrowed money to send Sfiso back to school and I am stuck at home with no money to go back to school. I do not know where to get money for transport, registration and rent."
One of the miners who survived, Sibusiso Nkosi, said he was now unemployed and broke.
"Remember they promised us money, took us out of work and said they would pay us while we are home but nothing has come through."
No money yet from Lily Mine
The family of one of the three workers who are trapped at Lily Mine Barbeton say they never received the money they were promised last year.
On February 5 last year, Lily Mine in Barberton collapsed, resulting in Solomon Nyerende, Pretty Nkambule, 25, and Yvonne Mnisi, 23, being trapped underground. A total of 76 miners were rescued through a mine shaft window the same day.
Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane promised the families of the three that they would each get R200000 as compensation from the mine whether their relatives were found dead or alive.
He also said the miners who were trapped would get R50000 each, which would come from the mine.
However, Pretty's family told Sowetan yesterday they never received any money from the company.
"We have not gotten anything from the mine," Nkambule's husband Christopher Mazibuko said.
"When we asked [about money] last year they said in six months time the money would be given to us.
"Why is he [Zwane] not talking to the mine or compensating us? He was the one who spoke about that," he said.
"We cannot talk much about the mine, they keep ignoring us; no calls, no money that they promised. We only got help from organisations that include the EFF that gave us food parcels on the 24th of December."
Mine manager Mike Begg responded to Sowetan' s query yesterday by SMS, which said: " Please contact Mr Devereux at Sturns."
Sturns, who is the mine's business rescuer, could not be reached as Devereux phone was off.
Zwane's spokesman Martin Madlala asked Sowetan to email him questions but he did not respond at the time of going to print. Mazibuko said they spent Christmas Day at the mine's gate.
"We could not rejoice while we had our loved one gone. So, as the families of the three, and some members of the community, we cooked some food and went to spend our Christmas at the gates of the mine."
Nkambule had four children, with the youngest being eight months old. The children now stay with relatives who support them.
Nkambule was the breadwinner in her family. She was also paying fees for her two brothers at university.
Her siblings, Anderson Mavuso and Sfiso Mavuso, said they did not have money to cover the fees.
"I'm studying towards teaching in the University of Free State, while my brother Sfiso is studying towards a bachelor of science at the University of Limpopo.
"Life is not easy as our sister was the only person working and we all depended on her income," Anderson said. We both passed last year. But our mother had borrowed money to send Sfiso back to school and I am stuck at home with no money to go back to school. I do not know where to get money for transport, registration and rent."
One of the miners who survived, Sibusiso Nkosi, said he was now unemployed and broke.
"Remember they promised us money, took us out of work and said they would pay us while we are home but nothing has come through."
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos