adminTanaka Mahanya
FORMER Wenela workers have pleaded with the Government to help them in their exercise to register their membership.
It’s a grouping of local miners who were once employed in South African mines.
They were exposed to harmful substances, which have resulted in some of them suffering from tuberculosis and liver cirrhosis.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital yesterday, Ex-Wenela Association of Zimbabwe (EX – WEMAZ) chairman and founding member, Rogers Munakamwe, said they were seeking Government intervention to offer financial assistance for the ex- miners.
“It has been 42 years since we came back to Zimbabwe from South Africa and some of the members have lost hope of a better future.
“We also intend to travel to the rural areas to register ex-miners but we do not have means of transport,” he said.
He went on to say that only 2 000 members have managed to register, out of 23 000 miners who left the country for South Africa.
Therefore, he said, a lot still needs to be done to reach out to marginalised communities.
“We have lined up an outreach programme in all provinces to update our database for submission to Tshiamiso Trust, a South African company, to provide medication to affected members,” he said.
Munakamwe hailed the Government’s efforts in facilitating compensation of the ex-miners.
“We are grateful that the Government has formed an inter-ministerial taskforce and we hold meetings, every two months, to ensure that miners receive compensation.
“Dependents of deceased miners will have to be compensated, on their behalf, and should be included as beneficiaries of the Tshiamiso Trust,” he said.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter