Business Times tells the harrowing stories of two widows of miners who died of lung disease and writes that there are thousands of South Africans due a pension or payout under the Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act (Odmwa).
A week ago, at the Mine Occupational Health and Safety Summit in Gauteng, positive announcements were made about curbing TB in the industry. But there are 105,000 men and women for whom improvements in working conditions have come too late, and who have fallen through the bureaucratic cracks. These are former miners with lung disease who cannot be found and compensated for their loss of health, yet there is thought to be R1.5-billion waiting for them. In his latest report, auditor-general Kimi Makwetu noted that the compensation fund had been dysfunctional for years. Nonetheless, officials say the situation is improving and a tracking and tracing project is in place with a call centre, provision of health clinics and a registration process. Support has been provided by the World Bank and Chamber of Mines.
- Read this report by Lucky Biyase in full at Business Times
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