Pay delays leave pain

COMPENSATION: FAMILIES OF SICK MINEWORKERS STILL AWAIT JUSTICE

- Masoka Dube

Families of former mineworkers who died after contracting tuberculosis (TB) and silicosis have accused the mining firms and the Tshiamiso Trust of failing to compensate them.

The trust was established in 2018 after six mining firms conceded that between 1965 and 2018, about 500,000 workers contracted TB and silicosis at their workplaces.

The companies are African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American South Africa, AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony Gold, Sibanye-Stillwater and Gold Fields.

After lawyers representing families of the victims reached an agreement with the companies, R5 billion was allocated to compensate them.

So far, 23,000 families have been compensated, while others claim that the management of the trust was intentionally making things difficult for them by demanding documents that the department of health and home affairs failed to issue.