ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has announced that the party and his family were willing to gather funds to retrieve the bodies of three mineworkers who tragically lost their lives in the 2016 Lily Mine disaster in Barberton.
ActionSA has written to RC Devereaux, the business rescue practitioner (BRP) of Vantage Goldfields, with an offer to retrieve the bodies at their own cost.
He said they will raise funds once granted permission but highlighted that this was the least of their problems.
“Let the BRP give us the permission, and ActionSA, including my family, will take the responsibility for the retrieval,” Mashaba said.
“We can’t sit back and allow the three families to suffer such pain for close to nine years now.”
He voiced frustration over the continued delay in retrieving the bodies of Pretty Nkambule, Yvonne Mnisi, and Solomon Nyirenda, whose bodies remain underground after the container they were in fell down a sinkhole.
He said their families are still waiting for the remains of their loved ones for proper burials, which would possibly grant them closure.
Mashaba said the situation had become a “battle of upmanship” between Vantage Goldfields and Agromanzi, and he could no longer stand by while the families continued to be denied justice.
Families camping outside the mine
The disaster occurred in February 2016 when the crown pillar, located between levels 3 and 4 of the mine, collapsed, causing a massive cave-in.
Mashaba emphasised that the families of the victims have been camping outside the mine for over six years, refusing to leave until the bodies are retrieved.
Despite their commitment, the recovery operation has been hindered by a lack of action from both the mine management and government authorities.
He also criticised the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for its failure to follow through on a court ruling in 2023.
He asserted that the Mbombela Magistrate Court had ordered those criminal charges be brought against mine management for reckless operation.
This included police officers who failed to take action when the families reported the incident. He said some senior members of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) were also implicated for their role in preventing the retrieval of the bodies.
Mashaba highlighted that ActionSA’s decision to seek permission to handle the retrieval is informed by the contempt of court by the NPA, as well as numerous days by mine management and the DMER to prioritise their financial interests ahead of dignity for the affected families.
Right to defend families
“We have been given the legal right to defend the families in the matter, so we see no reason to remain quiet in the face of more than a year of NPA contempt of court.
“Therefore, instead of continuing to wait for some action by the NPA, we feel that it is appropriate to go the route we propose and to directly obtain the rights to secure a company with relevant expertise in mining rescue, here in South Africa or elsewhere, to help retrieve the container with the three bodies and finally get justice for the families,” said Mashaba.
ActionSA has now taken the step of directly appealing to Vantage Goldfields’ Business Rescue Practitioner, requesting permission to bring in a professional mining rescue team, at no cost to the mine, to recover the bodies.
The party has also written to the DMRE, urging them to intervene and support the request.
“If granted, we commit to ensuring that the retrieval of the container is done in coordination with the Business Rescue Practitioner, mine owners, Vantage Goldfields, and the Department of Mineral & Energy,” said Mashaba.
