Ten years later, the bodies of Yvonne Mnisi, Pretty Nkambule and Solomon Nyirenda remain trapped at Lily Mine
Families of the three Lily Mine victims are demanding the retrieval of the bodies of Yvonne Mnisi, Pretty Nkambule and Solomon Nyirenda, a decade after the deadly 2016 mine collapse.
Image: Vantage Goldfields website
Thursday marks 10 years since the collapse of the Lily Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga, with families of three mineworkers still awaiting the recovery of their loved ones’ remains.
Families of Yvonne Mnisi, Pretty Nkambule and Solomon Nyirenda are scheduled to gather at the mine on Thursday to mark the sombre anniversary of the tragedy that unfolded on 5 February 2016.
The three mineworkers — two women and a man — became trapped underground when the container they were working in fell into a sinkhole caused by the collapse of a crown pillar, before being buried under massive rocks.
While 66 mineworkers were rescued following the incident, the container holding the bodies of the trio has never been retrieved. For years, some relatives have camped outside the mine premises, maintaining pressure on authorities to extract the remains and bring an end to what they describe as prolonged suffering.
On Wednesday, opposition party ActionSA, led by Herman Mashaba, lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in Mpumalanga on behalf of the families. The complaint is directed at the National Prosecuting Authority and the Department of Mineral Resources, whom the party accuses of failing to ensure accountability and justice for the victims.
ActionSA is also leading the 10-year commemoration events at the Lily Mine on Thursday.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba and the victim's families at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) headquarters in Pretoria demanding justice for Solomon Nyirenda, Pretty Nkambule and Yvonne Mnisi, who are trapped at Lily Mine
Image: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers
In October 2023, a magistrate’s inquest into the Lily Mine disaster found that the mine’s management and state institutions, including the police and the Department of Mineral Resources, had failed in their duties — findings that were widely characterised by labour and civil society groups as gross negligence and which intensified calls for accountability and state intervention.
Despite repeated court processes, political pressure and public appeals, the mine remains closed and no recovery operation has taken place.
As families prepare to mark a decade since the tragedy, they reiterate that true closure will only come once the remains of their loved ones are brought to the surface and laid to rest with dignity.
In February 2016, IOL reported that expert geological teams were reassessing whether it was safe to send rescuers underground at the then Vantage Goldfields-operated Lily Mine, where the three workers were trapped.
At the time, mine CEO Mike McChesney said geological specialists had advised against any underground rescue attempt due to severe ground instability.
IOL previously reported that a two-year inquest found the mine’s owners had failed to implement adequate safety measures. The Mbombela Magistrate's Court also ruled that failures by the state, including shortcomings in addressing illegal mining, had contributed to the deaths of the three miners.
After signing powers of attorney to pursue further legal action on behalf of the families, ActionSA said it had spent about R3 million on litigation related to the disaster and would continue to seek compensation for the families, as well as the reopening of the mine.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL News