ActionSA calls on Mpumalanga premier for transparency and action regarding trio trapped at Lily Mine
ActionSA has formally written to Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu to seek a detailed disclosure of the government's reported process to recover the bodies of the Lily Mine workers – Yvonne Mnisi, Pretty Nkambule, and Solomon Nyerende – who were trapped underground since the mine collapsed in 2016.
While ActionSA welcomes the provincial government's recent update that confirmed an estimated R18m budget and the involvement of the new investor, we express frustration over the long delays and previous exclusion from meaningful consultation.
Our numerous efforts, including through our members of parliament and members of the Mpumalanga legislature, have either been ignored or given the runaround. It is critical that government transparency be coupled with urgency in recovering the remains safely and swiftly.
In our letter to Premier Ndlovu, ActionSA emphasised the need for collaboration, but warned that the party will continue to pursue its parallel initiative to engage experienced mine rescue companies to prepare bids for the retrieval operation.
The families and communities impacted by this tragedy have waited long enough, almost 10 years. We will therefore not be sidelined or misled any longer by the government.
ActionSA calls on the Mpumalanga Provincial Government to show goodwill and collaborate with us in establishing a clear and open recovery plan that respects the dignity of the victims of this tragedy, as well as their families and community.
Herman Mashaba
ActionSA President
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