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GroundUp reports that six years after the creation of the Tshiamiso Trust, there are mounting concerns that the hundreds of millions of rand allocated for its operations could soon be depleted, which threatens to shut down the fund long before its mandate ends.
The Trust is a multi-billion-rand fund set up to compensate miners with TB or silicosis, or their families, and was created following a historic 2018 landmark silicosis settlement. Justice for Miners (JFM), a lobby group for ex-miners with TB and silicosis, has warned that if the R845-million for operational costs runs out before the end of the Trust’s lifespan in 2031, unclaimed money from the R5-billion rand settlement (which includes the operational costs) could be returned to mining companies. The admin fund covers the day-to-day running of the Trust, including salaries, medical assessments, and tracing of claimants. If the trust runs out of the admin budget, countless ex-miners, especially those in rural areas who remain untraced, could lose out on compensation.
JFM’s Catherine Meyburgh is concerned that by the end of 2026, over 80% of the admin fund, capped at R845-million, is expected to have been used. This suggests that before the trust reaches its 12-year life span in 2031, it would have exhausted its operational budget and possibly cease to exist. According to Meyburgh, the mining companies concerned are using hurdles and interpreting the trust deed differently to limit payouts and to avoid having to top up the R5-billion fund. The mining industry denied interfering with the trust or blocking payments and expressed willingness to discuss the budget shortfall to ensure all eligible claimants were compensated.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipokazi Fokazi at GroundUp
Get other news reports at the SA LabourNews home page