Sick miners hope coal lawsuit will bring justice

Most suffer from black lung disease

“I have four kids. Now I struggle to survive through temporary jobs. I hope that we win the case against the coal mines so that I can get enough money to pay for further education for my children.”

This was said by Tshifhiwa Constance Ndou‚ a 51-year-old widow from Limpopo‚ who is being helped by Catholic bishops to bring a class-action lawsuit against coal mining companies.

Her late husband worked on the mines for more than 10 years before he was retrenched on medical grounds. He never received any compensation and died due to black lung disease‚ according to the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

Bishop Abel Gabuza said yesterday: “The mines need to take both ethical and legal responsibility for the sick miners.”

Pneumoconiosis‚ also called black lung disease‚ is a preventable but incurable disease contracted in coal mines through inadequate protection from coal dust.

Richard Spoor Attorneys are preparing the class-action lawsuit on behalf of the sick miners. Richard Spoor was one of the lawyers involved in the silicosis class-action lawsuits against gold mining companies‚ which resulted in a R5bn settlement.

Gabuza said most of these sick coal miners are from Limpopo‚ Eastern Cape‚ Free State‚ Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

Ndwamato Ratshikakale is one of those involved as an applicant in the class action. He worked in the Tshikondeni Coal Mine in Limpopo for 22 years until he was retrenched.

The bishops said he received no compensation and survives on farming.

Ratshikakale was quoted as saying: “I have tried to get work for the last 20 years but my health has not allowed me to. I am not alone in having this sickness, there are hundreds of us.” –TimesLIVE