Batohi’s Failure to Act on Lily Mine Tragedy, Including Ignoring a Court Order, Is a Stain on Justice
Press Statement by Thoko Mashiane MPL
ActionSA Member of Mpumalanga Legislature
As National Director of Public Prosecutions, the continued failure to deliver justice in the Lily Mine tragedy rests squarely under your leadership.
Nearly a decade after three workers were buried alive at Lily Mine, their families are still waiting for accountability. Despite the gravity of this disaster and the clear indications of negligence and regulatory failure, there has been no decisive prosecutorial action. This prolonged inaction is unacceptable and deeply distressing.
This failure is made even more serious by the fact that you did not follow a court order instructing the National Prosecuting Authority to act in this matter. The disregard of a court order is a direct affront to the authority of the judiciary and represents a grave breach of constitutional obligations.
The absence of progress in the Lily Mine case sends a chilling message to mine workers and their families across the country, that their lives can be lost without consequence, and that justice is optional when powerful interests are involved. This undermines the rule of law and erodes public trust in the National Prosecuting Authority.
Advocate Batohi, leadership demands urgency, courage, and results. Explanations and delays cannot substitute for justice. The families of the Lily Mine victims deserve answers, accountability, and closure, none of which they have received under your tenure.
We call on you to act decisively and transparently in this matter. Until those responsible are held to account, the Lily Mine tragedy will remain a symbol of institutional failure and a painful reminder of justice denied.
Justice must no longer be buried alongside the victims of Lily Mine.
Batohi’s Failure to Act on Lily Mine Tragedy, Including Ignoring a Court Order, Is a Stain on Justice
As National Director of Public Prosecutions, the continued failure to deliver justice in the Lily Mine tragedy rests squarely under your leadership.
Nearly a decade after three workers were buried alive at Lily Mine, their families are still waiting for accountability. Despite the gravity of this disaster and the clear indications of negligence and regulatory failure, there has been no decisive prosecutorial action. This prolonged inaction is unacceptable and deeply distressing.
This failure is made even more serious by the fact that you did not follow a court order instructing the National Prosecuting Authority to act in this matter. The disregard of a court order is a direct affront to the authority of the judiciary and represents a grave breach of constitutional obligations.
The absence of progress in the Lily Mine case sends a chilling message to mine workers and their families across the country, that their lives can be lost without consequence, and that justice is optional when powerful interests are involved. This undermines the rule of law and erodes public trust in the National Prosecuting Authority.
Advocate Batohi, leadership demands urgency, courage, and results. Explanations and delays cannot substitute for justice. The families of the Lily Mine victims deserve answers, accountability, and closure, none of which they have received under your tenure.
We call on you to act decisively and transparently in this matter. Until those responsible are held to account, the Lily Mine tragedy will remain a symbol of institutional failure and a painful reminder of justice denied.
Justice must no longer be buried alongside the victims of Lily Mine.