Mining Weekly reports that a trust formed in 2016 to compensate a group of former Anglo American SA (AASA) and AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) employees who suffer from silica-related illnesses has already distributed about R102m of a R395m settlement.  

The Q(h)ubeka Trust was established following the successful conclusion of a lengthy compensation battle on behalf of 4,365 former mineworkers who might be suffering from silica-related occupational lung diseases.  Many of the former mineworkers from SA, Swaziland and Lesotho contracted silicosis while working for various mines owned by AASA and AGA.  The trust has until April 2019 to complete medical assessments of all claimants and make the first tranche of compensation payments to qualifying claimants.  To date, about 2,350 of the 4,365 claimants have undergone the medical assessments, Q(h)ubeka Trust chairperson Dr Sophia Kisting-Cairncross advised.  Following the first tranche, the trust will make a second tranche of payments for the distribution of the remaining settlement funds that were not paid out in the first tranche to the qualifying claimants and the family members of qualifying deceased claimants.  Compensation under the trust is separate from the class action suit that is currently under way against various SA gold mining companies, inclusive of AASA and AGA.

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