<\/p>\n
Herman Mashaba, leader of ActionSA, has issued a scathing condemnation of the South African government\u2019s handling of the Lily Mine tragedy, asserting that racial bias plays a role in the prolonged delay in retrieving the remains of three miners trapped 90 metres underground since 2016. <\/span><\/p>\n Mashaba\u2019s comments come after nearly nine years of government inaction, which he describes as a gross neglect of justice and human dignity.<\/span><\/p>\n During a segment on Power FM last night, Mashaba made an emotional appeal to Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe to take urgent action. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s heartbreaking to think of the families who have been waiting for their loved ones\u2019 remains for almost nine years,\u201d he said. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf those miners were of the white race, the container holding their bodies would have been removed long ago. The government would have mobilised every resource to rescue them, and the media would have been shouting from rooftops.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Mashaba\u2019s words underscore a perception of racial disparity in the government\u2019s response, a sentiment that has gained momentum among affected families and the public. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a tragedy that, despite the government\u2019s claims of progress and development, they have failed to act on this matter,\u201d he added. \u201cWe have spent over R4 million on legal costs trying to seek justice for these families, yet no meaningful action has been taken as the bodies are still trapped underground.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In a firm ultimatum to Minister Mantashe, ActionSA has declared that if the bodies are not retrieved within 60 days, the party will take matters into its own hands. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are giving the government a clear deadline,\u201d Mashaba stated. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf they do not act, we will mobilise our resources and collaborate with qualified rescue specialists to ensure these families finally get closure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The party\u2019s frustration is compounded by recent government statements promising imminent retrieval\u2014promises that have yet to materialise. <\/span><\/p>\n ActionSA\u2019s National Chairman, Athol Trollip, also expressed disappointment, recalling a recent meeting at which Mantashe assured them that the retrieval was \u201cimminent.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNine years have passed,\u201d Trollip questioned. \u201cWhat does \u2018imminent\u2019 mean after so long?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n ActionSA said that it has obtained permission from the mine\u2019s business rescue practitioners to enter the site and collaborate with rescue experts. <\/span><\/p>\n Mashaba revealed that legal advice has been sought to explore all possible options, including direct intervention to recover the miners\u2019 remains.<\/span><\/p>\n The tragedy has also led to calls for accountability. Although the Mbombela Magistrate\u2019s Court ruled in October 2023 that those responsible should face criminal charges, no arrests or prosecutions have occurred.<\/span><\/p>\n This lack of accountability has intensified grief among families and fuelled public outrage.<\/span><\/p>\n Mashaba\u2019s comments highlight a broader concern about racial and socio-economic inequalities in South Africa\u2019s justice system and government response to tragedies involving marginalised communities. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot allow such neglect to continue,\u201d he said. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThese families deserve justice, dignity, and closure. And if the government refuses to act, we will do everything we can to ensure they receive it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za<\/span><\/p>\n Politics<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Herman Mashaba, leader of ActionSA, has issued a scathing condemnation of the South African government\u2019s handling of the Lily Mine tragedy, asserting that racial bias plays a role in the prolonged delay in retrieving the remains of three miners trapped 90 metres underground since 2016. Mashaba\u2019s comments come after nearly nine years of government inaction, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[18312,2282,17071,15521,9820,18434,1037,7633,2849,18433],"class_list":["post-240242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-039if","tag-government","tag-inaction","tag-lily","tag-mashaba","tag-rescued039","tag-slams","tag-tragedy","tag-white","tag-would039ve"],"yoast_head":"\nA Call for Urgency and Justice<\/span><\/h2>\n
A Political Ultimatum<\/span><\/h2>\n
Legal and Political Action<\/span><\/h2>\n
A Broader Call for Justice<\/span><\/h2>\n