Cape Town – Families of former mine workers have accused mining companies and the Tshiamiso Trust of failing to compensate them after their loved ones died from tuberculosis (TB) and silicosis.
The Tshiamiso Trust was created after a landmark settlement agreement with 32 South African gold mining companies. It covers employees who worked at 82 gold mines between 1965 and December 2019, making them or their dependants eligible for compensation.
According to The Citizen, about 23,000 families have been compensated under the R5 billion settlement reached to provide reparations to miners and their families. But many others say they continue to face obstacles in accessing their payments.
Claimants allege that the Tshiamiso Trust has made the process unnecessarily complicated by requiring documents that the Departments of Health and Home Affairs have allegedly failed to issue.
“Tshiamiso Trust has failed to assist ex-miners, many of whom have since died, leaving their families in extreme poverty,” the report quoted Ziyanda Manjati, Justice for Miners Campaign representative in the Eastern Cape as saying.
The Tshiamiso Trust released a statement on the 29th of August providing an update on its progress and highlighted progress in claimant outreach and processing.
The organisation confirmed that it has paid out R2.27 billion to beneficiaries but acknowledged ongoing legal and operational difficulties.
“The Trust’s focused outreach efforts have yielded substantial results, particularly in key regions. To date, the largest volume of claims (51%) has been paid to South African beneficiaries, with a strong focus on mining areas in the Eastern Cape and Free State.
“Lesotho follows closely, with 42% of all claims paid, reflecting the long history of Basotho men in South African mines,” said Tshiamiso Trust.
In a renewed push to bring long-overdue justice and compensation to former gold mineworkers, the Tshiamiso Trust has officially launched a nationwide outreach campaign in Lesotho. The initiative, running from July through August 2025, is expected to directly benefit thousands of… pic.twitter.com/VI9kSQSUm3
— Lesotho Tribune (@LesothoTribune) July 22, 2025
The outreach programmes have extended to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and Eswatini, with the Trust also confirming talks with the Malawian government.
However, despite this progress, Chairperson Dr May Hermanus acknowledged the “painful” reality that many members have not qualified for compensation.
She explained that an impasse over the application of the Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act (ODMWA) and strict eligibility rules have left more than 70% of the 83,810 medical certifications completed to date ruled ineligible, as the medical evidence did not meet the required criteria.
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Compiled Anda Tolibadi
