Former Mozambican miners who worked in South African mines and developed occupational diseases due to poor working and living conditions are benefiting from compensation through the Tshiamiso Trust, a fund set up in 2020. The fund was established as part of an agreement between six South African mining companies and lawyers for the ex-miners to compensate for diseases such as silicosis and tuberculosis.
Recently, the Tshiamiso Trust announced the expansion of its Benefit Medical Examination (BME) sites to Chókwè and Maxixe, in Gaza province, in addition to Maputo. This expansion aims to improve accessibility to services for a wider community of eligible ex-workers seeking compensation for occupational diseases.
Since starting operations in Mozambique, the fund has benefited 159 ex-miners to the value of 16.7 million rands (58.8 million meticais). Tshiamiso Trust’s Operations Director, Tina da Cruz, highlighted the significant increase in certifications and compensation payments since the implementation of the initiative.
Ex-miners eligible to receive compensation are those who carried out risky work in one of the qualified gold mines between March 12, 1965 and December 10, 2019 and who have received a Certificate of Medical Finding or tuberculosis. The initiative was welcomed by the Association of Miners of Mozambique, which sees it as an opportunity to improve the lives of former mine workers.
