ActionSA President Herman Mashaba has asked the business rescue practitioner of the Mpumalanga mine in which three workers perished eight years ago for permission to recover their remains.

Mashaba said his party had written to RC Devereaux and the Department of Minerals and Energy for the green light to hire professional mining rescuers to retrieve the bodies of Pretty Nkambule, Yvonne Mnisi, and Solomon Nyirenda.

The trio were trapped in a collapsed container at the Lily Mine near Barberton in 2016.
Despite ongoing efforts and legal actions, the retrieval process has been stalled for years due to logistical, financial, and legal challenges.

Over the decades, South Africa has reported numerous smaller-scale mining incidents, often resulting from rock falls, explosions, and machinery malfunctions. Historically, inadequate enforcement of safety measures, coupled with the high-risk nature of deep-level mining, has contributed to these tragedies.
Post-apartheid South Africa has implemented stricter mining regulations, improving safety records in many areas. However, challenges remain, particularly in abandoned and illegal mines, where accidents are underreported, and fatalities continue to occur.

Mashaba, the former Johannesburg mayor at the forefront of efforts to recover the trio’s bodies, said they hoped to help the victim’s families find closure. ActionSA has already taken the mine’s owners, Vantage Goldfields and Agromanzi, to court in a bid to retrieve the trapped container that killed Mnini, Nyirenda and Nkambule.

“We have therefore written to RC Devereaux to ask for permission to retrieve the bodies at our own cost because we believe this will enable the families to bury their loved ones and start their journey towards relative closure,” Mashaba said in a statement.

“We have also brought this request to the attention of the Department of Mineral & Energy, hoping that their intervention might assist that the BRP gives us the permission to secure professional mining rescue services for the eventual retrieval of this container, at no cost to them,” he added.

Mashaba said if the request is granted, ActionSA will work with the business rescue practitioner, Vantage Goldfields and the Department of Mineral and Energy to retrieve the trio’s bodies.

Mnisi, Nkambule and Nyirenda disappeared on February 5, 2016, when a container collapsed and was swallowed by the ground. They were never found. Their families have regularly camped at the entrance to Lily Mine, demanding justice and the bodies of their loved ones.

In 2020, Mashaba promised to help the families of three mine workers trapped at the mine. He never looked back in trying to retrieve the bodies of the three employees who were officially declared dead in 2023.

Mashaba also maintained that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been in contempt of court following a judgment by the Mbombela Magistrate Court that it criminally charged mine management, some members of the Barberton police, and some senior members of the Department of Minerals and Energy for their dereliction of duties.

“We must not forget the contempt of court by the National Prosecuting Authority following a judgement by the Mbombela Magistrate Court that it criminally charges mine management for reckless operations after being warned twice by mining experts, two years before the collapse of this container, about the dangers of their activities. Some members of the police in Barberton for failing to institute criminal charges against mine management when the families reported this matter. Some senior members of the Department of Minerals and Energy for their complicity in preventing the container from being retrieved,” he concluded.

South Africa has a long and tragic history of mine disasters due to its significant reliance on mining, a cornerstone of its economy. These tragedies often result from poor safety practices, aging infrastructure, and natural challenges like seismic activity. One of South Africa’s worst mining disasters occurred in Coalbrook, Free State, where 437 miners died after the collapse of approximately 900 underground pillars in 1960. The incident highlighted significant safety lapses and led to reforms in mining legislation.

A 10.5-hour rescue mission saved 955 workers trapped underground at the Beatrix Gold Mine in the Free State following a power outage caused by seismic activity. While no lives were lost, the event highlighted ongoing concerns about mine safety.

In the North West province, 104 miners were killed when a runaway locomotive fell into a lift shaft, plunging the cage carrying the workers down 1.8 kilometres. The incident underscored the need for better machinery safety protocols.

In 1986, 177 workers died due to an underground methane explosion at the Kinross mine in Mpumalanga. The blast ignited plastic insulation, releasing toxic fumes. This tragedy sparked tighter controls on flammable materials used in mining.