Mbombela (Nelspruit) – The Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on Thursday revealed that the inquest found that illegal mining was the primary cause of the collapse of a shaft at Lily Mine, where three workers were buried alive in 2016.
The mine workers Solomon Nyirenda, Pretty Nkambule, and Yvonne Mnisi were inside a lamp room container when the earth below it caved in and swallowed it.
After several rescue attempts failed, the trio was presumed dead. Their bodies have never been recovered.
Delivering the much-anticipated court outcomes of an inquest on Thursday, Judge Annemarie van der Merwe also apportioned blame on the mine owners, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), and the SA Police Service.
The inquest found that the mine owners failed to do a proper assessment under the Mine Health and Safety Act.
The inquest also found that the police and the DMRE failed to combat illegal mining near the ill-fated mine, contributing to the deadly collapse.
Judge Van der Merwe said the department and the police failed to act before and after the disaster.
Richard Spoor the legal representative of the bereaved families said he was satisfied with the inquest outcome.
