Lily Mine inquiry completed, says mineral resources minister

MINERAL Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said government has completed its inquiry into the Lily mine tragedy and that the report would now be handed over to his department.

“We would all agree that closure and finality is critical on this matter, especially for the families of Yvonne Mnisi, Pretty Nkambule and Solomon Nyerende,” he told delegates at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town yesterday.

The bodies of Lily Mine workers Mnisi, Nkambule and Nyerende remained underground after a lamp room container in which they were working was swallowed up by the earth when a pillar collapsed at the mine on February 5, 2016.

The safety of South African miners came under the spotlight after last week’s incident when more than 950 workers were trapped for more than 30 hours at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Beatrix gold mine in Free State after a power outage. There were no fatalities.

Chief executive of the Chamber of Mines Roger Baxter said the industry was investing time and money, and putting in a lot of measures to mitigate deaths at the mines. He said the industry’s efforts were led by its “Zero Harm” programme chaired by Anglo American Platinum chief executive officer Chris Griffith.

Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said: “We must always bear in mind that where there are no workers there can be no mining. The lives of the mineworkers must come first. Their lives matter.

“Let us advance the spirit of goodwill, fair labour practice and mutual beneficiation.” – African News Agency (ANA)