Miners and their families protest against compensation barriers

ABOUT 50 miners and their friends and families protesting outside the African Mining Indaba at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) yesterday demanded that barriers that make it impossible for miners to access compensation be removed.

Donned in mining gear, the Justice for Miners campaigners paid tribute to colleagues who perished while on the job and lit candles and held placards in their honour.

Inside the conference, current and potential investors tackled new investment opportunities dedicated to the capitalisation and development of mining in Africa. The Indaba, which opened on Monday, will conclude tomorrow.

The widow of a miner, Nobantu Malomboza from Hout Bay, said she came to the Indaba to demand answers about compensation after her husband passed away in 2012.

“We came here because we want the money we were promised as widows of miners but it was never received,” she said.

The Justice for Miners campaign, which works with communities affected by lung diseases caused by gold mining, urged the public to sign a petition for compensation that will be handed over to Parliament this week.

Campaign spokesperson Ntokozo Moloi said 800 people have already signed and they were hoping for 3 000 more.

“The state has failed to protect miners, to diagnose, treat and compensate miners. Instead they have been sent home to die without being informed of their rights to proper exit examinations. Currently, 200 000 cases of certified claims remain unpaid while the

“We came here because we want the money we were promised Nobantu Malomboza Miner’s widow

ex-miners are dying and their families are suffering the devastating burden of having to care for a former wage earner in households facing severe poverty and food insecurity,” Moloi said.

“Currently, statutory charges for compensation for miners fall under the Odimwa law and are administered by the Medical Bureau of Occupational disease (MBOD) and the Compensation Commission, which are respectively tasked with receiving and processing applications for children’s compensation, diagnosing, certifying illness and paying out money. The consequences reach across generations as children are not able to attend school and another cycle of exclusion from opportunity is promoted,” said Moloi.

Mineral Council spokesperson, Alan Fine said an improvement in the number of compensation payments had been made.

“There has been an improvement in the number of compensation payments made, from just over 1 500 in 2015, to between 7 000 and 11 000 a year in recent years. It is correct that for several years the MBOD became extremely inefficient administratively. Since 2015 the Minerals Council and the Occupational Lung Disease Working Group – which represents the six companies party to the R5 billion silicosis and TB class action settlement – have worked closely and intensively with the Compensation Commissioner appointed to improve the MBOD’s operations,” said Fine

“It is hoped that payments to entitled ex-miners from both funds will happen as quickly possible.”