The full scale of failure that led to deaths of workers at Lily Mine in Barbeton, Mpumalanga, seven years ago has been laid bare in the damaging inquest judgment delivered last week.
The long fight for justice for the families of Pretty Nkambule, Solomon Nyerenda and Yvone Mnisi, who were buried in the mine after a steel container they were in caved in, has been vindicated by the scathing judgment delivered by magistrate Annemarie van der Merwe.
It has been a frustrating and painful period of grief for the relatives of the three workers whose families have been struggling to find closure since their disappearance. Efforts to retrieve their bodies were halted due to safety concerns.
In her scathing judgment, Van Der Merwe found that the mine failed to heed warnings by a geologist, who raised red flags about the possibility of crown pillars being affected by illegal mining in the areas. She also blasted the police for failing to deal with illegal mining, which had been prevalent before the 2016.
Van Der Merwe further slated the department of minerals and energy for issuing compliance certificates to the mine prior to the incident without checking reports that could have prevented the disaster.
“It is clear from the evidence presented in court that the institutions of the SAPS and DMRE were at the time of the Lily Mine disaster merely giving lip service to the issue of illegal mining and that they were not effectively addressing the issue,” Van Der Merwe said.
What could be more criminal than a department constitutionally mandated to ensure mines comply with the law and neglecting that responsibility at the cost to lives? Throughout the seven years of grief for the families no government entity or department saw if fit to uncover the truth behind this tragedy. It smacks of a shameful cover up of the truth, which is appalling.
Till this day, no one has been held accountable for what happened. Now that the semblance of justice has been done by the inquest, we urge the National Prosecuting Authority to bring government officials and mine bosses responsible this to book.
SOWETAN | Lily Mine shameful truth out
Image: IHSAAN HAFFEJEE
The full scale of failure that led to deaths of workers at Lily Mine in Barbeton, Mpumalanga, seven years ago has been laid bare in the damaging inquest judgment delivered last week.
The long fight for justice for the families of Pretty Nkambule, Solomon Nyerenda and Yvone Mnisi, who were buried in the mine after a steel container they were in caved in, has been vindicated by the scathing judgment delivered by magistrate Annemarie van der Merwe.
It has been a frustrating and painful period of grief for the relatives of the three workers whose families have been struggling to find closure since their disappearance. Efforts to retrieve their bodies were halted due to safety concerns.
In her scathing judgment, Van Der Merwe found that the mine failed to heed warnings by a geologist, who raised red flags about the possibility of crown pillars being affected by illegal mining in the areas. She also blasted the police for failing to deal with illegal mining, which had been prevalent before the 2016.
Van Der Merwe further slated the department of minerals and energy for issuing compliance certificates to the mine prior to the incident without checking reports that could have prevented the disaster.
“It is clear from the evidence presented in court that the institutions of the SAPS and DMRE were at the time of the Lily Mine disaster merely giving lip service to the issue of illegal mining and that they were not effectively addressing the issue,” Van Der Merwe said.
What could be more criminal than a department constitutionally mandated to ensure mines comply with the law and neglecting that responsibility at the cost to lives? Throughout the seven years of grief for the families no government entity or department saw if fit to uncover the truth behind this tragedy. It smacks of a shameful cover up of the truth, which is appalling.
Till this day, no one has been held accountable for what happened. Now that the semblance of justice has been done by the inquest, we urge the National Prosecuting Authority to bring government officials and mine bosses responsible this to book.
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