Lily Mine families saddened by slow process

Family members of the trapped Lily Mine workers are baffled by how slow the rescue and now recovery mission had been going since the tragedy took place.

This comes after the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) last week announced that it will ensure those responsible for the Lily Mine tragedy are held to account amid growing speculation that government and management have forgotten about those affected, Mpumalanga News reported.

“At the moment I’ve run out of energy to say anything to anyone. We’ve been emotionally drained by the whole ordeal,” said Phindile Nkambule, the sister of one of the victims.

It has been almost two months since a lamp room container plunged into a giant hole caused by rock fall at the mine near Barberton in Mpumalanga.

Solomon Nyarende, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule – who were inside the container at the time – have been trapped underground ever since and efforts to rescue them have since been fruitless.

According to Cosatu spokesperson, Sizwe Pamla, the union suspects the mine’s management is hiding key information regarding the collapse.

“An investigation must be carried out and those who were reckless and those who failed to adhere to health and safety standards should be held accountable.

The fact that we’ve been barred twice makes us suspicious over what they don’t want us to find out,” Pamla said.

Read More: ‘In God we trust’ – relatives of trapped miners

– Caxton News Service