The Tshiamiso Trust provided an update regarding the claims process for prospective recipients of benefits for current and former mineworkers who have contracted silicosis or work-related tuberculosis on 82 gold mines since March 1965.
The silicosis and tuberculosis class action settlement and Trust Deed was agreed between six mining companies and the attorneys representing mineworkers wanting to claim damages against those companies. The companies that were party to the settlement agreement are African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American SA, AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony and Sibanye-Stillwater.Latest figures
As of 20 January 2021, prospective claimants were able to begin booking appointments at 50 lodgement offices in mining centres and areas from which labour has historically been drawn in South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini and Botswana. And from 15 February 2021, those offices were opened to accepting the lodgement of documents from these claimants. Most of the lodgement offices are located at TEBA offices with which the Trust has negotiated a partnership agreement. Other lodgement centres will be opened in due course. It is the intention of the Trust to involve additional service providers in this process. To further facilitate the payment of benefits to eligible claimants, the Trust has negotiated a contract with Aurum Innova, SA mining’s leading occupational health agency. Aurum Innova is supplying mobile medical clinics and some permanent ones to carry out benefit medical examinations (BMEs) on claimants where this is necessary to prove claims. Tshiamiso has also negotiated a contract with Netcare for use of its facilities around the country. There will be further BME networks developed including, we hope, with state health facilities and with general practitioners at local sites. The outcome of this work is that, as of 28 February, Tshiamiso’s call centre has dealt with 10 151 calls, and since 15 February 2021:- 5 638 claimants have made appointments to lodge;
- 2 402 have formally lodged claims applications; and
- 408 have undergone BMEs