Chronicle Editor
Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
THE Goverrnment will between today and early next week embark on Pneumoconiosis and Silicosis testing as well as mobile registration of Ex-Wenela mine workers in Masvingo province.
Recently, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare announced that it was rolling out the Pneumoconiosis and Silicosis testing as well as mobile registration of the former Wenela mine employees across the country starting with Bulawayo province.
According to a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Simon Masanga, where the person is deceased, beneficiaries are required to bring a death certificate of the individual who participated in the Wenela programme.
“This is being done to assist the Ex-Wenela mine workers to get compensation from South Africa mining companies.
“The mobile testing and registration is being carried out in phases in all the country’s 10 provinces,” he said.
The testing and registration programme was being conducted in collaboration with the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).
The public is advised that the mobile testing and registration team will be at Mucheke Stadium Masvingo today and tomorrow.
The team will then move to Chigarapasi Bar (Tshovani) in Chiredzi on Monday and will be there until Tuesday.
For registration, the ex-workers are required to bring with them positive identification, name of mine worked for, mine number (if it exists) and the period worked.
The compensation follows announcement that mine workers who were exposed to harmful substances and ended up contracting silicosis or tuberculosis at South African gold mines are set to receive compensation ranging from R10 000 to R500 000.
The development comes after the High Court in Johannesburg approved the settlement in the Silicosis and Tuberculosis class action reached on 26 July 2019 and came into effect on 10 December 2019 after all conditions had been fulfilled.— @okazunga
Online Reporter