More than R2bn paid to 26,300 ex-miners with TB and silicosis but many more still wait
The Tshiamiso Trust has paid out over R2.5 billion to 26,300 former mineworkers suffering from TB and silicosis, though many claimants still face significant delays. Challenges such as complex documentation requirements and difficulties verifying employment history have left many, particularly in Zimbabwe, without compensation.
Why it matters
The slow pace of compensation for vulnerable former miners raises concerns about corporate and administrative accountability toward workers who contracted occupational diseases.
The Tshiamiso Trust , which administers the landmark R5bn settlement for mineworkers who contracted TB and silicosis, says it has already paid R2.53bn to 26,300 claimants.
The trust revealed this during its AGM on Friday.
Despite the revelations, former mineworkers and widows who attended the AGM said years of waiting, changing documentation requirements and difficulties accessing medical examinations mean some beneficiaries have still not been compensated.
The trust is entering the final three years of its mandate with claims still being processed.
Lesotho accounts for most successful claims — 10,329 so far worth R970m — while Zimbabwe presents a starkly different picture.
By the end of June, 827 claims had been lodged in Zimbabwe, but none had been paid when the trust held its AGM on Friday.
Tshiamiso Trust CEO Dr Munyadziwa Kwinda attributed the lack of payments in Zimbabwe to difficulties establishing claimants’ employment histories.
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