ActionSA has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa demanding urgent intervention in the unresolved Lily Mine tragedy, nearly a decade after three miners were buried alive when a container office collapsed into a sinkhole in Barberton, Mpumalanga.
In an open letter sent on Wednesday, ActionSA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip accused the government of showing “a dreadful reflection on your own lack of compassion and humanity” by failing to retrieve the remains of Solomon Nyirenda, Pretty Nkambule, and Yvonne Mnisi, who perished on February 5, 2016.
The party’s delegation, led by ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, visited the site on Tuesday and met families who have camped near the mine for years, vowing not to leave until the remains of their loved ones are recovered.
Mashaba simply repeated stories about how he got involved in the saga following relentless pleas from the spokesperson of families, Henry Mazibuko.
Thuma Mina call
In the follow-up letter, Trollip reminded Ramaphosa of his Thuma Mina (send me) call at the start of his presidency, contrasting it with the inaction over Lily Mine.
“Our visit was borne out of Mr Herman Mashaba’s deep conviction for the families’ struggle, as he has been involved in this matter since February 2020, even before the formation of our political party, ActionSA,” Trollip wrote.
“When you became president of South Africa in your first term, you decried the preceding nine wasted years under your predecessor. You invoked the biblical call of Thuma Mina and challenged us all to do what we could for our country.
“In February next year, it will be 10 years, a full decade, since this tragedy occurred, yet not a finger has been lifted by your government, past or present, to retrieve the remains of these miners.”
He further lambasted authorities for broken promises, citing examples of the government spending millions of rands to retrieve bodies of illegal miners elsewhere, while the families of the Lily Mine collapse remain neglected.
Over R4-million spent
Trollip said ActionSA has spent more than R4-million in legal costs and support for the affected families since 2020, when Mashaba first became involved.
“We have spent in excess of R4-million on legal fees alone, in addition to expenses related to regular visitations, travel, accommodation and support to the families. These expenses, while significant, were worthwhile and meaningful,” Trollip wrote.
“This is a situation borne out of tragedy, neglect, and broken promises, and the families have vowed to remain there, away from their homes, families, and even employment opportunities, until the remains of their loved ones are returned.”
Trollip’s letter accuses mine owners, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, and business rescue practitioners of dishonouring their commitments while allegedly allowing illegal mining to continue at the site.
He challenged Ramaphosa: “My direct question to you, as the president, is this: what will you do now that I have placed this matter before you in this open and public correspondence? If Ubuntu is not dead in our country, what will you do?”
