Lily Mine Anniversary: Families Mark 10-Year Wait for Justice

Published 5 Feb 2026

by Mbalenhle Butale

3 min read

Families and community members held a prayer at Lily Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga, to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2016 tragedy
The families have been camping near the mine for years, demanding that the government recover their loved ones’ remains, which are still trapped underground
ActionSA leaders attended the prayer, promising to continue pushing for the retrieval and justice for the victims

CHECK OUT: Turn unemployment into income. Your next job starts here.

Lily Mine anniversary — Members of Action SA joined the families at the Lily Mine to mark the 10th year of the tragedy. Image: @ActionSA/X
Source: Twitter

MPUMALANGA- Families and residents gathered at Lily Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga, for a solemn prayer to honour the three workers who were buried alive in 2016.

Pretty Nkambule, Yvonne Mnisi, and Solomon Nyirenda were last seen on 5 February 2016 when part of the mine collapsed. An underground pillar gave way and pulled down a container where the three were working. Their remains have never been recovered.

The families have been living in tents near the mine since 2019. They set up a small camp with a sleeping tent and a makeshift kitchen as they continue to pray for their loved ones to be brought home. The camp was later moved about a kilometre away, but the families refused to leave the area.

Families speak out

Family spokesperson Harry Mazibuko said the past decade has been full of suffering.

“For us as families, it’s 10 years of torture, 10 years of betrayal, 10 years of lies, and 10 years of empty promises from our government,” he said.

Despite many calls for help, little progress has been made. The families say they will remain at the site for as long as it takes to keep the memory of their relatives alive. As in previous years, they will gather at the mine on Thursday for prayers to mark the painful anniversary.

Action SA attends the prayer meeting

ActionSA leaders Herman Mashaba and Athol Trollip attended the prayer meeting in Barberton to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy. Trollip delivered a heartfelt message, promising that the party would continue fighting for the retrieval of the three workers.

“I pray that you, as parents, live long enough to see the bodies of your children returned to you,” he said.

South Africa marks 1000 days of the tragedy

In 2022, the families of the three trapped workers marked 1 000 days since they began camping outside the mine to demand that the government recover their remains. Presumed dead, the workers’ bodies remain trapped around 70 metres underground in a container. Many South Africans have questioned why the bodies have still not been retrieved and why the government's response has been so slow.

Earlier reports from Briefly News stated that ActionSA had given Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe 60 days to make a clear plan to recover the bodies. The party said the government’s slow response had been disrespectful to the families. ActionSA has permission to enter the mine and work with recovery experts, but paused its own efforts to give the government a chance to act. If Mantashe does not act within 60 days, the party has vowed to proceed independently.