Action Demanded on Lily Mine Prosecutions

Today, ActionSA delivered a memorandum to the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Head Office in Pretoria, calling for urgent action to ensure accountability in the Lily Mine tragedy. The party demands the implementation of the recommendations arising from the inquest into the deaths of Solomon Nyirenda, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule.

The memorandum follows years of inaction despite the conclusion of an inquest held between November 2021 and February 2023. In October 2023, the Mbombela Magistrate’s Court found that the mine’s management, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) should bear responsibility for their respective roles in the circumstances that led to the deaths of the three mine workers. The court also directed that the record of proceedings be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider the institution of criminal proceedings.

Despite repeated engagements with the NPA, ActionSA has not received clarity on whether a decision has been taken to prosecute any of the parties identified in the inquest judgment. More than two years have passed since the judgment was delivered, with no meaningful progress communicated to the affected families or the public.

This continued delay undermines confidence in the criminal justice system and prolongs the suffering of the families of the victims, who have spent more than a decade seeking justice, accountability and closure.

ActionSA has previously approached the NPA on this matter without success. Today’s memorandum calls on the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Andy Mothibi, to ensure that the inquest recommendations receive urgent consideration and a final decision is made to institute criminal proceedings against those implicated in the judgment.

The families of Solomon Nyirenda, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule deserve more than promises, they deserve justice. ActionSA will continue to stand alongside them until accountability is secured and every avenue has been exhausted to ensure those responsible are held accountable.

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