Mr. Mafolwana and 17 other ex-miners with silicosis have launched a test case against the South African unit of Anglo American...to seek compensation for their illnesses. But the case has dragged on for seven years, with no decision expected until next year at the earliest. While the company fights the lawsuit with all its legal and financial resources, four of the 18 former miners have died. Others grow sicker every day...Thousands of ex-miners have died of respiratory illnesses without treatment or compensation, often because they were too weak to reach a hospital for diagnosis...Anglo American says it is not responsible for the compensation claims because it owned only a minority share in the South African mines... [also refers to AngloGold Ashanti]