“Anglo denies owning any mines involved in silicosis lawsuit”, 22 Oct 2015

Anglo American South Africa Limited on Wednesday asked the high court in Johannesburg to exclude it in the landmark silicosis class action lawsuit as it was not the owner of the mines being sued.  Anglo American is one of the 32 companies which are opposing a bid by former gold mineworkers who want to certify a class action of mineworkers who suffer from silicosis and tuberculosis (TB)…Anglo claims it was at no stage the employer of the mineworkers...The mineworkers said Anglo American had admitted that it enjoyed legal relationships with 11 mines and admitted holding shares in several of those mines...Counsel for Anglo American…said the…mineworkers needed to prove that Anglo controlled the activities of the mining companies that employed the members of the silicosis class‚ however‚ he said the workers had not adduced any evidence to prove that.  It would be an impossible imposition on Anglo American to call it to account for individual mines for which it had “no control on the day to day basis”…