Families of trapped Lily Mine victims finally get hope after nearly a decade of waiting

It's time for a sigh of relief as the families of the trapped Lily Mine victims see movement after nine years of pain and struggle. The container retrieval process is set to begin in the next two months, offering a glimmer of hope, even as the operation is expected to come with a hefty price tag of nearly R800 million.

For years, the families of Solomon Nyirenda, Pretty Nkambule, and Yvonne Mnisi, supported by ActionSA, have been calling for the recovery of their loved ones.

The three workers were inside a container serving as a lamp control room when it plunged into a sinkhole during the Lily Mine collapse on February 5, 2016. The container remains unrecovered to this day. Now, nearly ten years later, the families have been given renewed hope with the promise that recovery efforts will finally get underway.

ActionSA has called for the retrieval process, now being led by the Business Rescue Practitioners, to be carried out with urgency, transparency, and compassion.

The party expressed hope that the promise to begin the recovery within two months will be honoured. Despite the government’s inaction over the years, ActionSA remains committed to supporting the families and ensuring that the remains of the three miners are finally brought home.

“We recognise the importance of direct engagement with the families affected by the tragic incident, and we commend the efforts to provide clarity and reassurance during this difficult time.”

Most recently, in a letter to Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, Chief Whip Athol Trollip expressed his frustration over ongoing delays and warned that if the government does not retrieve the bodies of the three Lily Mine workers, missing since 2016, within 60 days, ActionSA will take matters into its own hands.

ActionSA president Herman Mashaba previously pointed out that the container at Lily Mine is located about 70 metres underground, a stark contrast to the Chilean mining rescue in 2010, where miners were successfully brought to the surface from a depth of around 600 metres.

After years of heartache and waiting, the families of the Lily Mine victims were filled with relief and renewed hope following news that plans to retrieve their loved ones may soon begin. Since April 30, 2019, they have camped outside the mine, clinging to faith and resilience through daily prayers at 6am, 12pm, and 6pm, determined to see their loved ones brought home and laid to rest.

Speaking to The Star, Rose Mkabi, the heartbroken mother of Yvonne Mnisi, said: “It’s only hope, prayer, and the support of others that keep us going. We go to the mine every single day, crying and praying for our children. I just want my daughter’s remains; I want to lay her to rest with dignity. This pain of not knowing, of waiting for so long, is unbearable.”

She added that if it were not for Mashaba, the world might have forgotten about their loved ones. 

“If it wasn’t for him, I’m sure no one would be talking about our children anymore. He’s always there for us, paying for our children to go to school, buying us food. To be honest with you, we don’t go without because of him. This country has failed us, but in Mashaba, we trust.”

Family spokesperson Harry Mazibuko confirmed that during a recent meeting, Business Rescue Practitioner Robert Devereux presented proof of funding from a Chinese investor and assured families that the retrieval work would begin within two months. However, Mazibuko said the families remain cautious.

“To be honest, it’s hard for us to trust this until the work starts,” he said. “This is not the first time we’ve been given promises and timeframes that never materialised, even by the minister himself. We asked Mr. Devereux why we should believe him now, and he told us that, unlike previous investors or officials, he came in person because he wanted to show us this time it’s real.”

Mazibuko added that Devereux told the families the funds would be in his possession this week, and that they expect a progress report soon.

“If it turns out to be true, we will be very happy, because this is what we’ve been waiting for all these years.”

In 2010, Chile's President Sebastián Piñera estimated that the cost to the country for rescuing 33 miners trapped for 69 days beneath the Chilean desert was between $10m and $20m.

However, Devereux, who has been involved in the retrieval efforts of Lily Mine from the outset, stated that the process of retrieving the container will require an estimated $40 million (about R720 million).

The Star

masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za