Justice For Miners Press release: Tshiamiso Trust AGM of Unfulfilled Compensation

August 2025

Justice For Miners Press release: Tshiamiso Trust AGM of Unfulfilled

Compensation

Since the establishment of the Tshiamiso Trust, which manages R5 billion in

compensation payments from six mining companies found liable for the illnesses of

miners who contracted tuberculosis (TB) and silicosis while working in the mines,

annual general meetings (AGMs) have taken place. This settlement to compensate exminers

who worked in the qualifying mines between March 1965 and December 2019

was finalized in 2018; however, very few ex-miners have received their payments.

Justice for Miners Campaign findings reveal that out of 500,000, only about 23,000

(twenty-three thousand) ex-miners have so far benefited from the R5 billion settlement.

JFM believes that the Tshiamiso Trust could work or cooperate with Civil society, more

could be done to facilitate compensation payments and minimize delays.

Justice for Miners Campaign, a civil society support group, believes that the Tshiamiso

Trust has failed to assist ex-miners, many of whom have since passed away, leaving

their families in extreme poverty. Every year at the Annual General Meeting, questions

are raised regarding the extent of the Trust's compensation payments and why they

have not been compensated as mandated by the Gauteng High Court. Unfortunately,

satisfactory answers are rarely provided, which only leads to more questions.

Justice for Miners Campaign has always offered to help trace ex-miners so that there is

no delay caused by tracking individuals but Tshiamiso has not engaged it even though

they claim to have difficulty in finding qualifying ex-miners. Justice for Miners believes

that this is the Mining companies' strategy to delay paying the R5bn because if it is

exhausted, they would have top up the amount to ensure that all elegible beneficiaries

are paid. So, the question that must be asked; is Tshiamiso collaborating with the

mining companies by raising technical problems that disqualify ex-miners? For

instance, they refuse to accept the Department of Health - Medical Bureau for

Occupational Diseases (MBOD) certification, as prescribed by the Tshiamiso Trust

deed (ex-miners who were certified and diagnosed with TB or silicosis by the MBOD).

Justice For Miners believe that the MBOD certified miners should be paid immediately

without further qualification. This is not an unfair request but Tshiamiso’s rejection

compromises the claimant's possible compensation.

Justice for Miners is inviting all advocates of socio-economic justice to attend the

upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the 29th August. Attendees will have the

opportunity to ask questions about the progress of the Tshiamiso Trust compensation

program, as well as the reasons for the delays in payments. This invitation

acknowledges the situation of ex-miners, as highlighted by Judge Vally, who

emphasized that, “in the absence of employment records needed to prove eligibility

affidavits should be accepted and that the Trust should err on the side of paying

claimants rather than not paying.” In other words, even if there are doubts, the exminers

must be compensated. We encourage attendees to inquire whether the mining

companies that agreed to the settlement are acting as obstacles in this process.

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