Trollip visits Chris Hani

Action SA is assisting former Whittlesea mine workers and their families in their efforts to claim a portion of the R5bn owed to them that was reportedly facilitated by the premier’s office.

The former mine employees were not happy with the response they received following their visit to the premier office.

Action SA leader Athol Trollip said in Whittlesea on Tuesday: “I commit myself to investigating the R5bn that is missing from the mine workers’ wages.

“You can go to Whittlesea, Ilinge and Cradock, people are under oppression.

“The people of the Eastern Cape have suffered from poverty for a long time, and they’re not receiving the attention and support they need from the government,” Trollip said.

He criticised the fact that elderly people had to travel to Bhisho and pay R300 because there was no one willing to listen to them locally.

Others said they never received their original documents back from the labour recruitment and placement agency for SA miners.

Trollip advised people to always hand over copies and not their original documents.

On the day of their visit to the premier’s office, the ex-miners said they were referred to a Mr Sotana, as the premier was not around.

Ayanda Mxhosena, who is trying to claim his late father’s pension funds, said that he and 14 other ex-miners were not getting any responses. He said: “We spent R300 for transport. “We were told that the premier was not around and he will get back to us within 14 days, which will be on Thursday this week.”

However, he was not happy about being told that their letters had not been received.

One of the ex-miners, Timoti John Percy, lives with an outdated prosthetic leg that he received after an injury at the mine.

He was unable to afford a new one. Nompucuko Mxoli said her husband passed away in January from asthma.

Mxoli explained how the conditions at the mine contributed to his health problems, she said: “I watched him struggle.

“His lungs were damaged.”

Trollip said: “Let us not give them the right to govern again for them to ignore us.

“You fought for democracy so you can have your own input.”

Community members also expressed concern about the trust where the money was being deposited. Trollip said he would investigate.

The community was also concerned about the community development funds from MTN and Vodacom cellphone towers, which are meant to support community projects.

Trollip also assessed the deteriorating temporary houses of people who have been waiting 10 years for overdue RDP houses.

He also said Action SA president Herman Mashaba would ensure that all security guards working for the government were directly employed, rather than through a labour broker.

Trollip also visited Ilinge and Cradock.