The R2.6m lawsuit brought against AngloGold Ashanti by sick former employee could change the way mineworkers are compensated for lung diseases incurred at some of the world's deepest mines...[The] lawsuit [is] brought on behalf of a sickly former employee of the company by Richard Spoor and fellow attorney Charles Abrahams and an international alliance of class action law firms centred in Washington, Spoor said. AngloGold has declined to make any comment on the matter...[The] legal charge [is] against AngloGold Ashanti, 41.8% owned by Anglo, and the world’s largest platinum producer Anglo Platinum, which is 79% held by Anglo [Anglo American]. In the case of AngloGold Ashanti, he argues, a former worker Thembekile Mankayi has been left destitute with a wife and 10 children when his health failed to the point where the could no longer work. He was paid R16,300 in compensation after 16 years at AngloGold Ashanti’s Vaal Reef operations...The lawsuit is seen as a test case, which if successful, could open the floodgates to thousands of other mineworkers coming forward to claim compensation for damaged lungs from mining companies. Workers underground contract silicosis from inhaling silica dust from drilling. [also refers to Sasol]