Ex-mineworkers in North West have been paid R76.9 million from benefits they were entitled to, according to a statement by a government publication.
Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said that he was extremely happy the North West provincial government had traced the ex-mineworkers who left employment without claiming their benefits.
Government has traced 20,798 ex-mineworkers and has processed 2,669 claims.
To date, the State has paid out R76.9 million between 2022 and 2023 to these workers.
This work is part of the compensation project that was launched by Dhlomo in August 2022.
“The intervention aims to provide ex-mineworkers and their beneficiaries with access to compensation benefits for occupational lung diseases and other social protection funds which were left unclaimed,” the health department said.
“The province and the department have done extremely well if you consider that between 2017 and 2021, the total value of the payouts ranged from between 10% and 11%, but in one year of 2023, the province was able to pay R76.9 million,” Dhlomo said.
MORE WORKERS
The North West Health MEC, Madoda Sambatha said that the province is working to find 168,000 former mineworkers and their beneficiaries.
“We already have community health workers who are doing good work of ‘loss to follow-up’ because they track and trace people who miss their TB treatment. When we integrate this programme, we will be able to utilise this resource to track and trace ex-mine workers,” Sambatha noted.
This news comes at a time where jobs in the mining sector are under threat.
MAJOR JOB LOSSES
Earlier this week, it was announced that thousands of jobs are on the line, following the conclusion of a Section 189 process by mining company, Sibanye Stillwater.
In a widespread jobs crisis, Sibanye Stillwater has become another mining firm set to retrench thousands of its full-time and contract employees, following the conclusion of a section 189 process.
It will result in the closure of certain shafts and restructuring of its four shafts at its SA Platinum Group Metals (PGM) operations.
The shafts that will be impacted include the Simunye shaft, Kroondal operation, 4Belt (4B) shaft (subject to certain conditions), Marikana operation, Rowland shaft, Siphumelele shaft, and the Rustenburg operation, following a previously announced notice.
Impala Platinum also noted that it is contemplating shutting down operations if metal prices continue to deteriorate, Chief Executive Nico Muller said on Thursday.
Impala scrapped an interim dividend and postponed spending on various projects to save about R10 billion, after its half-year profit dropped to R1.7 billion from R14.8 billion in the same period of 2022, according to their share statement.
IOL BUSINESS