Mine still paying bereaved families

WHILE the government and Lily Mine are yet to deliver on a promise to pay R200 000 in compensation to the families of three mine workers killed in a sinkhole tragedy a year ago‚ the mine continues to take care of their families.

“What the company has done is we have continued to pay the salaries of Yvonne‚ Pretty and Solomon to the families on a monthly basis‚” business rescue practitioner Rob Devereaux said in an interview with PowerFM yesterday.

“They are also receiving grants from government. They have accommodation and there are food parcels delivered to them on a regular basis‚” Devereaux said.

Solomon Nyerenda‚ Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule were killed when the lamp room they were in plummeted in to the belly of the mine as a result of a sinkhole which formed at the Barberton mine on February 5 last year.

Efforts to recover their bodies have faced numerous delays. Currently‚ the mine is closed. Devereaux said the latest delays were caused by funding and unrest in the area.

Some of the funds meant for the rescue operation have since gone towards saving the Barbrook Mine‚ which is a sister mine of the Lily operation.

“Barbrook Mine was a developing mine which is also part of the Vantage Group and we seconded a lot of Lily people to the Barbrook work mine, so we kept on employing people and there were various projects and initiatives to employ more people‚” Devereaux said.

“Now [Barbrook Mine] has gone into business rescue because of disruptions and lack of production. So the financial model has changed to include funding for the Barbrook Mine‚” he said.

Several options are being explored to reopen the mine.

Meanwhile‚ Devereaux has to paying the families R200 000 as soon as possible.

“Yes‚ once I have received money to open the mine and do various things‚ the first people on my list to pay are the families‚ the R200 000 and I have made that very clear.

“It is clear to the union. It is clear to the DMR [Department of Mineral Resources]. It is clear to the families.”

Devereaux clarified that Lily Mine was not receiving any financial support from the DMR.

“The DMR are offering us support in terms of giving support to the family‚ supporting us in discussions with the police and Remembrance Day. There is no financial support from the DMR‚” he said.

A remembrance service which was meant to be held on the first anniversary of the accident has since been put on hold.

Devereaux said the company had arranged the service for February 5.

“In the course of last week‚ we received indications from the police that unrest has been planned to disrupt the service‚” Devereux said.

“We decided to postpone the ceremony to such time as we believe it will be safe.” — TMG committed their