The findings from the Lily Mine inquest included first-hand accounts of the mine's collapse in 2016 as well as extensive allegations of illegal mining, which was allegedly facilitated by mine employees.

In his testimony at the Lily Mine inquest, an anonymous witness, "Mr X", told the court that gold buyers and mine employees provided illegal mine workers with drilling equipment and generators in exchange for payment in gold.

The court made a number of referrals to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and ordered that Mr X's identity be protected until the matter is finalised with the Director of Public Prosecutions. Mr X is a registered informant with the Hawks and Crime Intelligence and was also giving information to private security firm Fidelity.

The inquest proceedings dealt with the deaths of Solomon Nyirenda, Yvonne Mnisi and Pretty Nkambule. They died during the Lily Mine collapse on 5 February 2016 in Barberton, Mpumalanga. The inquest identifies illegal mining as one of the contributing causes.

The three mine employees were working in a container above ground that plunged into a sinkhole, trapping them underground. Rescue efforts continued for days, but proved futile. Seven years later, their bodies have still not been recovered.

A total of 33 witnesses testified during the inquest, which ran from November 2021 to February 2023, with Magistrate Annemarie van der Merwe handing down her findings on Thursday, 19 October....