Former workers at Lily mine near Barberton, Mpumalanga, want the mine’s business rescue practitioner to be removed.

Three years ago, the mine was closed after part of it caved in, leaving workers Solomon Nyarenda, Pretty Nkambule and Yvonne Mnisi trapped underground.

Rescue efforts were stopped after engineers declared the site unsafe.

Since April last year, the former workers and families of those trapped underground have been camping outside the mine, demanding the removal.

This week, officials from the department and the mine owners the Vantage Goldfields visited the mine to conduct an inspection.

A former shop steward at the mine Harry Mazibuko says the business rescue practitioner was appointed procedurally.

Mazibuko says, “They should have engaged with us or the Union that represents us, but now we want to consider placing the company under BRP, they didn’t which means that the process is not legit, that is why we are calling for them to be removed and since they were appointed nothing they have ever done. There is no communication with us, so they have failed.”