Premier David Mabuza has reportedly said his government will no longer wait for investors concerning the situation at Lily Mine.
Mabuza is quoted by the SABC saying: “I think we have come to that point, to say certain things we might do them ourselves”.
He added: “Lets not wait for external people that we think they have got money, the little resources we have, if correctly utilised, we can turn the situation around; that is our approach, so we are not talking of starting a new thing, about owning a state company, mining company, we have that arm already, it [must] just be built around that arm”.
Three weeks ago Mabuza, accompanied by Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane met with the families of Yvonne Mnisi, Pretty Nkambule and Solomon Nyarende – the three trapped workers.
The department said the aim of meeting Yvonne, Pretty and Solomon’s families in Baberton, Mpumalanga “was to receive feedback from the mine’s management on progress made in securing funding that will enable the mine to compensate the affected families and mineworkers, as well as to develop a decline for retrieval of the container”.
The Minister and the Premier committed to engage neighbouring mining companies in an effort to negotiate that some Lily Mine and Barbrook employees be employed, noting that 10 job opportunities have already been created,” the department said, adding that food parcels were being “provided to the affected families”.
The Vantage Goldfields have pleaded being broke after putting rescue operations to a halt early last year, saying rescuing the three will require R200 million.
Mabuza said Exxaro will invest over R3.8bn in a new Belfast coal mine, creating hundreds of jobs, and that his government will intervene in the electricity bills of the two troubled Mpumalanga municipalities – Msukaligwa and eMalahleni.
(edited by ZK)
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