NUM and alliance partners in Mpumalanga to embark on march to Lily Gold Mine

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and its alliance partners including the ANC, Cosatu, and SACP in Mpumalanga will be embarking on a march today to Lily Gold Mine to hand over a memorandum of their grievances.

The march will start 10:00 this morning from Louicreeck town to the area where three mineworkers are still trapped underground..

According to national spokesperson, Livhuwani Mammburu, the NMU demands that the operation of an inclined shaft to rescue the three trapped workers must start within three days after receiving this memorandum. 

"Those poor workers need to be brought to the surface so that their families could find a closure and move on with their lives. The thoughts of having comrades Solomon Nyerende, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule deep down there are disturbing and highly unbearable, " said Mammburu. 

The union also demands that Lily Gold Mine must comply with the Mining Charter including the Social Labour Plans (SLP). Lily Gold Mine is completely doing nothing for the locals, one of the main reasons why the NUM is opposing to it being placed on a business rescue administration

As Mammburu explains, "Lily Gold Mine is completely doing nothing for the locals, one of the main reasons why the NUM is opposing to it being placed on a business rescue administration".

Furhermore, the NUM is calling upon mining companies to invest more money in protecting the lives of workers than focusing more on profits. Mineworkers cannot be sacrificed for profits. We also call on mineworkers to refuse to work in dangerous conditions.

"Mineworkers cannot be sacrificed for profits. We also call on mineworkers to refuse to work in dangerous conditions,", Mammburu said.

The union will also call on the Department of Mineral Resources inspectorate to hold the mining  industry fully accountable for its failures and adopt a no-nonsense approach when it comes to injuries and fatalities in the mining industry