10/02/2015 AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa briefs the media on the status of the rescue operations at Vantage Goldfields Lily Mine where three mine workers have since been trapped. Picture: Phill Magakoe 10/02/2015 AMCU President Joseph Mathunjwa briefs the media on the status of the rescue operations at Vantage Goldfields Lily Mine where three mine workers have since been trapped. Picture: Phill Magakoe
Pretoria - Two of the three families whose members have been trapped in a container at a Barberton mine have ended their vigil and said they would return to the mine once operations to rescue their family members resume.
This comes two weeks after Vantage Goldfileds chief executive Mike McChesney announced that the rescue mission for Solomon Nyerende, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule will have to be approached from a different direction.
McChesney said the decision was taken after numerous consultations with five international geo-technical experts who have surveyed the mine and suggested the new move.
“Things have been quiet at the mine and we decided that it is best we return home because they are saying they will take six months to get to my son,” said Kennedy Nyerende, Solomon’s father. He said it was a difficult decision to make and felt as though he was deserting his son.
“We need to return to work, we can’t put our lives on hold when we know we are in a situation where we are powerless,” Nyerende said.
“It’s a painful decision to make, because we are reeling in anguish as we haven’t seen him in over two months. We can’t even say whether he is alive or not,” said the distraught father. He said they would keep in touch with the mining company to be kept abreast of any developments.
Read also: Lily Mine: NUM blames Amcu, mine bosses
“The mine has been good in updating us and we appreciate it. We will contact them or go to the mine and find out what is happening with the rescue mission,” Nyerende said.
Nyerende, Mnisi, and Nkambule are believed to have been trapped in a lamp-room container that sank during a collapse on February 5 at Lily Mine. Mnisi’s family said they left the mine a week ago and they too would be consulting with the officials on a regular basis.
Badly affected
Lucky Mazibuko, Nkambule’s cousin, said they would probably return to Lily Mine to continue with their vigil after a month.
“We can’t really comment on the status of the operation because they are busy with the new course of action,” said Mazibuko.
“Her [Nkambule’s] kids are badly affected by this. They haven’t seen their mother for a long while. The youngest one was eight months when the incident occurred. We don’t know if they will grow up without a mother after this thing is over,” said Mazibuko.
“Her husband has not been the same since that morning. His children keep asking him when will they be able to see their mother. He can’t answer that question with certainty,” said Mazibuko.
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However, Elmond Mnisi, Yvonne’s father, said he couldn't allow himself to abandon his daughter and would wait until she was found. â€We are still at the mine. We can’t move until they are found,” said Mnisi. He said they were particularly concerned about false information that had been reported in some media articles and stressed that the mine was doing everything in its power to retrieve the trio.
“We just want to say that we are here until we have our loved ones back,” said Mnisi.
Vantage Goldfields’ spokesman Coetzee Zietsman confirmed that some of the family members began moving back to their homes while planning for the operation was still under way.
As far as rescue operations are concerned, Zietsman said the company was in the final stages of planning.
Meanwhile, then National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) yesterday levelled serious allegations against the rival union, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), and Lily mine management following the failed attempt to visit the site of the mine collapse in Barberton on Tuesday. NUM’s deputy president Joseph Montisetsi was allegedly denied access.
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