'If they were white, they would've been rescued': Mashaba slams government inaction over Lily Mine tragedy
Herman Mashaba, leader of ActionSA, has issued a scathing condemnation of the South African government's handling of the Lily Mine tragedy, asserting that racial bias plays a role in the prolonged delay in retrieving the remains of three miners trapped 90 metres underground since 2016.
A Call for Urgency and Justice
During a segment on Power FM last night, Mashaba made an emotional appeal to Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe to take urgent action.
'It's heartbreaking to think of the families who have been waiting for their loved ones' remains for almost nine years,' he said.
'If those miners were of the white race, the container holding their bodies would have been removed long ago. The government would have mobilised every resource to rescue them, and the media would have been shouting from rooftops.'
Mashaba's words underscore a perception of racial disparity in the government's response, a sentiment that has gained momentum among affected families and the public.
'It's a tragedy that, despite the government's claims of progress and development, they have failed to act on this matter,' he added. 'We have spent over R4 million on legal costs trying to seek justice for these families, yet no meaningful action has been taken as the bodies are still trapped underground.'
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