5 February 2025

MEDIA RELEASE

SUMMARY: The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) is commemorating the Lily Mine Disaster of 5 February 2016. The Union bemoans the slow pace of progress and opportunistic actions of political parties and business interests, while standing firm in its demand for the retrieval of the container and the reinstatement of all affected workers.

Today marks nine (9) years of betrayal and injustice since the horrific Lily Mine disaster, where three mineworkers, Pretty Nkambule, Yvonne Mnisi, and Solomon Nyirenda, were buried alive when a lamp room container plunged into a sinkhole on 5 February 2016.

Since that dark day, their families and comrades have endured agony, false promises, and government inaction. The failure to retrieve the container is nothing less than a crime against the working class!

AMCU, the true voice of the workers and the majority union at Lily Mine, has relentlessly fought for justice. “We have written letter after letter to presidents, we have petitioned ministers, we have stood at the gates of power demanding action – but all we get is empty words and crocodile tears,” says AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa.

“This disaster happened under the watch of former State President Jacob Zuma with his mining minister Mosebenzi Zwane – they failed the workers and the nation. Then came the sitting State President and his minister Gwede Mantashe – both former trade unionists. We had so much hope that they would have sympathy for the plight of workers, but nothing came of it”, he added.

“Year after year, we gather at this site not just to mourn, but to remind the nation that Pretty, Yvonne, and Solomon are still underground because of corporate greed and state complicity”, he said.

While AMCU has been steadfast, opportunistic political parasites have tried to hijack this tragedy for their own gain. “Where was Herman Mashaba when our comrades perished?” Mathunjwa asks. “At the time of the disaster, he was a top leader in the Democratic Alliance, yet he remained silent! Now, with his new political ambitions, he suddenly wants to champion the cause. We reject this hypocrisy with the contempt it deserves”, he said.

Since the disaster on 5 February 2016, the legal battle around the ownership of Lily Mine has been fraught with delays and financial struggles. Vantage Goldfields, the mine’s original owner, entered business rescue in April 2016 following the collapse, leaving workers and families without hope. Various potential investors and buyers emerged over the years, but the ownership dispute and financial difficulties stalled any progress in reopening the mine or recovering the bodies of the three workers.

The inquiry into the disaster highlighted critical failures in mine safety regulations and corporate accountability. It exposed negligence in the mine’s operations, as well as the lack of urgency from both the company and the government in addressing the disaster’s aftermath. Despite these findings, meaningful action to retrieve the container and hold those responsible accountable has been slow and ineffective.

“AMCU has spent vast amounts in legal fees and consultancy from experts in order to address this injustice, but the process has been caught up in endless court battles”, said Mathunjwa.

With the recent transfer of ownership in 2023 to new investors, AMCU has called on Vantage Goldfields and its investors to expedite the full reopening of the mine and ensure that all workers are reinstated. It is consistently emphasised that the retrieval of the container must be treated as a priority, and safety measures must be reinforced to prevent such a catastrophe from ever happening again.

AMCU remains unwavering in its commitment to real justice. The new mine owners must act with urgency. “The retrieval of our comrades is non-negotiable,” declares Mathunjwa. “Nine years of lies and betrayal is enough”, he added.

“Operations must resume, but not at the cost of justice! The workers must be reinstated, and the retrieval of the container must be the first priority. The families of Comrades Pretty, Yvonne, and Solomon deserve closure, and mineworkers deserve to work in dignity, not in death traps! We will never stop fighting until justice is done. AMCU will continue the struggle until the voices of the working class are heard and respected,” Mathunjwa concluded.

*ENDS*

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For more information or media interviews, contact AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa.