The inquest hearing into what happened during the disaster at the Lilly Mine in Barberton in Mpumalanga, in 2016, is set to continue in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Friday with the mine’s geologist Mike Berg testifying.
Berg, who took to the stand on Thursday afternoon has disputed the report compiled by the rock engineer, Rudie Kirsten, on the redesign of the mine crown pillars.
The aim of the inquest is to give answers to the families of the three miners who died in the Lily Mine collapse more than five years ago.
The remains of Yvonne Mnisi, Solomon Nyarende and Pretty Nkambule have not yet been retrieved.
Families disappointed with the government’s lack of intervention in the Lily Mine issue:
Meanwhile, former general manager of Lily Mine, Eben Swanepoel, has dismissed knowledge of two reports by Kirsten, proposing the relocation of the mine’s main entrance long before it collapsed.
Swanepoel told the court that health and safety were always top of their agenda. He says the lamp room, which sank with the three miners, was placed next to the entrance to have access control when blasting to ensure that there is nobody underground.
Swanepoel mentioned that they have done everything to ensure a safe environment for their employees. He also confirmed he was instructed to close all the holes on top of the hill, which were created by illegal miners. Swanepoel says although Lily Mine was also facing challenges of illegal mining this was not as serious as reported.
He says during their inspection in 2011, they saw illegal miners on three levels, which they entered through the ventilation shaft.
He confirmed to the court that he was also not aware of Goldfield, one of the partners with Vantage. Swanepoel says he joined Lily Mine in October 2011, while the report by Kirsten was compiled in May of the same year
