‘Agonizing battle for Tshiamiso compensation taking toll on ex-miners’ 17 February 2023

Fainting during coughing fits and waking up on a drip in hospital has become a way of life for Elias Mpiyakhe Ngwenya (61). He is one of the lucky ones in that he lives just 25km from the Good Shepherd Hospital. Many ex-miners like Mpiyakhe who suffer from terminal silicosis from years working underground in South African gold mines can’t get to a hospital. “I don’t recall how I ended up here in hospital; not to mention the day and time I was admitted. Whenever I’ve a severe attack of silicosis, I start vomiting blood and coughing persistently to the point of running short of breath. I then collapse from loss of blood and breath. My wife always asks a neighbour with a van to rush me to hospital,” Mpiyakhe tells Inhlase. He recently suffered another attack and is at the Siteki-based hospital which services poor communities in the Lubombo region in eastern eSwatini.

…The ex-miner was relieved when he finally found out what he was suffering from as it meant that he could access compensation from the Tshiamiso Trust which was set up by the South Africa’s six biggest mining companies to compensate current miners and ex-miners suffering from silicosis and work-related tuberculosis. These are African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American South Africa, AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony Gold, Sibanye Stillwater and Goldfields. In February 2020, they created Tshiamiso Trust after a landmark silicosis and TB class-action lawsuit to give effect to the R5 billion settlement agreement. What also raised his hopes is that Tshiamiso compensates ex-miners who worked in the qualifying mines from March 12, 1965 to December 10, 2019. It also caters for the dependants of deceased mineworkers. Inhlase has established that Kusasalethu Mine, South Deep and West Driefontein Gold Mine he had worked for appear on the list of the qualifying mines.

…According to SA-based Tshiamiso Trust acting chief executive officer, Luyanda Jiya, as of February 6, 2023, 1 750 claims had been formally lodged in eSwatini. Of the 1 750 claims, only 17 had been paid totalling R1 191 898. She sheds light on the primary reasons for the compensation delay. She says the claim process is six months but it takes a bit longer for the deceased claims. An additional three months is for the agent that represents the mining companies to review the claim before it can be finalised…SWAMMIWA secretary general takes a swipe at the eSwatini government for sidelining the mineworkers’ associations thus creating barriers preventing Tshiamiso from speeding up compensation for the ex-miners. He says it is a cause for concern that ex-miners are dying life flies before getting the compensation….Instead of mulling over the Tshiamiso compensation, Mpiyakhe has resigned himself to die without his compensation. His spouse, Anne Ngwenya ekes out a living by doing odd jobs for the neighbors who pay her E50 to put food on the table. She is battling to come to grips with that her partner is going to die without getting his dues for toiling deep down in the bowels of the earth for 28 years.