Lilly Mine victims’ families remain hopeful!

THE families of the three Lily Mine workers who remain buried underground are still camping outside the mine's premises.

On Sunday, 20 October, it will be exactly 2 000 days since the families have been camping there.

On 30 April 2019, the Nkambule, Nyirenda, and Mnisi families decided to erect a tent 1 000 metres away from the main gate of the mine where Pretty Nkambule, Solomon Nyirenda, and Yvonne Mnisi were last seen on 5 February 2016.

They did this with the hope that the government would assist them in bringing closure by retrieving the container believed to have sunk with the trio eight years ago.

This tent has turned into their home, which they have all shared with a common purpose. Every day, they hold prayer services calling for God's intervention.

For the past five years, these families have endured all types of weather conditions and attacks from unknown people, but they remained hopeful that one day they will walk to their homes with the remains of their loved ones and bury them with dignity.

Sifiso Mavuso, a family member of Pretty, told Daily Sun that it hasn't been an easy journey for them as the families.

He said the families still hope that one day the container will be retrieved, and they'll be free from the torture that they're facing.

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"We believe in God, and we believe that the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Everything that has a beginning should also have an ending. We've made it our mission to camp here up until a solution is found. It's been a difficult journey for all the families, but we're holding on as we want to achieve what we want," said Sifiso.

Legal battles have been fought since the tragedy befell these families.

Harry Mazibuko, who is the families' spokesman, said although the Constitutional Court ruled in their favour, there has never been progress on the matter.

He said that the people who were supposed to help the families made promises and disappeared.

"It's empty promises. We've been to different courts; rulings were made but up until this day, nothing had been done. There's nothing that we can do. We don't know what we are supposed to do. What must happen now for the families to get the remains of their loved ones?" said Harry.

On 20 October 2023, the Nelspruit Magistrates Court made findings to the inquest that was established to determine who was liable for the incident. The court ruled that extensive illegal mining activities were the main cause of the disaster.

The families are expected to visit the mine on Sunday, 20 October to hold a prayer service. Each year since the tragedy, the mine owners have allowed the family members to come to the mine despite a court order which prevents some of the former workers who have been at the forefront in assisting the families find closure.

Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman, Monica Nyuswa, said a decision to prosecute in the Lily Mine matter is yet to be made by the Director of Public Prosecution in Mpumalanga.