Mashaba urges prosecution for Lily Mine tragedy
ACTIONSA leader Herman Mashaba has written to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) requesting prosecution of those involved in the Lily Mine tragedy of February 2016 within 14 days.
In February 2016, a mine collapsed in Mpumalanga, leaving Pretty Nambule, Yvonne Mnisi and Solomon Nyirenda trapped underground. Their remains are still at the site.
Last year, the Mbombela Magistrate’s Court ruled that the NPA should consider criminal prosecution against those found liable for the tragedy, including the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. Mashaba said that the NPA promised to decide on the issue by the end of January, but to date there has been no announcement.
“ActionSA’s objective remains to see the mine shaft reopened to retrieve the container in which the three victims were entombed, securing compensation for the families of the affected miners, and ensuring that those who are liable for the tragedy are criminally prosecuted,” Mashaba said in a statement.
Mashaba said he had received power of attorney from the families to pursue, if possible, civil and criminal litigation against the parties found liable. “In the wake of my first visit to the Lily Mine in 2020 to meet with the victim’s families where they had camped outside the mine, I pledged to bring justice to them. We cannot allow people to forget what happened at Lily Mine on February 5, 2016, and we need to ensure justice for the miners and their families,” he said.
He vowed not to live in a society where tragedies such as Lily Mine occur and fail to support the victims and families due to the ANC’s failures.
He said his party would remain committed to help retrieve the bodies of the three miners.