Mining Weekly reports that the Tshiamiso Trust, which was established in February 2020 to manage the payment of benefits to eligible silicosis and tuberculosis (TB) sufferers in the gold mining sector, has paid benefits to the first seven claimants in the past two months.
The trust has been hard at work over the past year to ensure it is able to process claims and since its establishment has opened 50 lodgement centres where the claims process starts. As at 28 February, the Tshiamiso Trust call centre has taken 10,151 calls, while 5,638 appointments have been made by claimants to start the lodging process. About 2,400 claims have been lodged and 408 medical examinations have taken place. The six participating companies to the trust, namely African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American SA, AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony Gold and Sibanye-Stillwater, have in aggregate provided for about R5-billion that is expected to be paid in benefits and to fund the costs of the trust. Benefits of between R10,000 and R500,000 will be paid out for ten classes of claimants. Tshiamiso Trust chairperson May Hermanus clarified that there was a maximum amount stipulated for each class, related to the severity of the mineworker's illness. Only about 1% of all claimants would be eligible for a R500,000 claim, the maximum amount set in the highest class. Further payments will be expedited as more lodgement centres open up.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly
- Read too, Silicosis trust set to ramp up compensation payments to victims, at Business Report
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