Now coal mines facing class action suit
The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) and human rights lawyer Richard Spoor are preparing another class action suit, this time against coal mining companies on behalf of miners suffering from pneumoconiosis, also called black lung disease, and their families. The sick coal miners are from Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga and KZN, says TimesLIVE.
Bishop Abel Gabuza said in a statement yesterday: 'The mines need to take both ethical and legal responsibility for the sick miners.' Spoor was one of the lawyers involved in the silicosis class action against gold mining companies which resulted in a R5bn settlement. Among the claimants is Ndou Tshifhwa Constance, a 51-year-old widow from Limpopo, whose late husband worked on the mines for more than 10 years.
He was retrenched due to his medical condition but never received any compensation, and he died from black lung disease, said the SACBC. Ndwamato Ratshikakale, another applicant, worked in the Tshikondeni Coal Mine in Limpopo for 22 years until he was retrenched. The bishops said he received no compensation and tries to survive on subsistence farming.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
