BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE– Uncompensated former mineworkers and the relatives of those who died after contracting silicosis and tuberculosis are being urged to come forward and apply for compensation.
The Tshiamiso Trust recently announced that qualifying beneficiaries must submit their claims before December 2029.
A Mozambican publication, Club of Mozambique, reported that the announcement followed complaints from advocacy groups that many qualifying beneficiaries had yet to receive compensation.
Former miners eligible for the payout are from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The trust was established after an agreement was reached between the legal representatives of the former mineworkers and six mining companies involved in the matter.
Tshiamiso Trust Chief Executive Officer, Munyadziwa Kwinda, urged claimants to submit their applications as soon as possible.
“Time is of the essence. We do not want any eligible person to miss out because they waited too long. If you or a family member worked at gold mines owned by African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American South Africa, AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony Gold, Sibanye-Stillwater, or Gold Fields between 1965 and 2019, come forward as soon as possible,” he said.
Kwinda said the invitation also extended to former mineworkers whose conditions had worsened after previously unsuccessful claims.
He explained that mineworkers are permitted to lodge a second claim with the trust.
Payment for medical examinations is required upfront, with the cost refunded if the applicant meets the eligibility criteria.
Kwinda said the trust has reached the halfway mark in administering compensation to beneficiaries.
He added that, as of 9 February 2026, the entity had disbursed E2.5 billion to eligible claimants, shortly after crossing the midpoint of its 12-year legislative lifecycle in December.
“The E2.5 billion disbursed is a result of the trust’s work across South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and relies on prescribed claims processes to ensure fairness, accuracy and compliance with the trust deed. Reaching the halfway mark of our lifecycle allows us to reflect on our progress while sharpening our focus for the remaining years ahead.”
Kwinda said this progress had been achieved despite operating in a complex environment, where the wide geographical spread of claimants, the sourcing and verification of historical records, and the rigorous implementation of trust deed requirements continue to present operational challenges.
“This has necessitated extensive, careful and methodical processes to ensure fairness, accuracy and compliance with the trust deed. Unfortunately, not all claims meet the eligibility criteria,” he said.
He added that, despite these complexities, the trust has steadily expanded its reach through on-the-ground interventions, outreach programmes and partnerships with service providers, governments and community-based structures.
These efforts are aimed at improving access, accelerating claims processing and ensuring that eligible claimants are supported throughout the process.
However, beneficiaries’ representative Cathrine Meyburgh, a senior member of Justice For Miners, said: “We do not see how potential claimants and their families can come forward.
“With lodgement sites closing, often offline and far from potential claimants; information not distributed in the languages of the claimants or through channels accessible to them; unresolved status of Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases (MBOD) certificates; and difficulties in accessing medical records and death certificates, the situation is untenable.”
Meyburgh said some claimants travel up to six hours to reach a lodgement site, spending money on transport and accommodation, only to find that the site is offline.
She added that until mining companies recognise the status of MBOD and related certificates within the trust deed framework, claimants will continue to be assessed at a lower degree of illness or deemed ineligible despite the findings reflected in their MBOD certificates.
#ExMineworkers#TshiamisoTrust#MedicalBureauForOccupationalDiseases#EligibleClaims
(Courtesy Pic)
