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GroundUp reports that in recent years the Compensation Fund (CF) has faced allegations of inefficiencies and delays in payments of claims. In February, the Auditor-General’s office told MPs that almost every aspect of the institution was dysfunctional.
The case of Sue Swarts, who has been facing an uphill battle, is an example. The 69-year-old widow has waited more than eight years for compensation after her husband of 42 years, Matthys, died from mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by exposure to asbestos dust. He worked at Transnet as a dispatch manager for 32 years and had just gone into early retirement when he fell ill in January 2016. He died the same year. “The doctors confirmed that he had asbestos cancer, and they could do nothing as it was too late,” said Swarts. Since her husband’s death she has been financially dependent on her sons. “It’s been the longest wait that has left me in tears. If it’s not my husband’s payslips going missing, it’s an official unavailable or another excuse. I was promised payment months ago, but I’m still waiting,” Swarts lamented.
The Fund, which had a surplus of R107-billion in 2023/24 according to its annual report, is set up under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) of 1993 and falls under the Department of Employment and Labour. Its revenue comes from annual levies paid by employers based on their wage bill. The Act mandates the Fund to cover medical costs and provide regular payments to employees who suffer injury or disease contracted on duty, and funeral expenses and pensions to the families of employees who die from work-related injuries or diseases.
CF spokesperson Hloni Mpaka reported that of the 107,205 claims received in 2024/25, 99% had already been adjudicated – meaning they have been assessed to determine whether to accept or reject liability. But many claimants, like Swarts, are still waiting for their payouts.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipokazi Fokazi at GroundUp
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