19th May 2022
Own Correspondent
The Botswana Government has joined efforts in the region to expedite efforts to ensure ex miners in South Africa and labour sending countries in the region are able to access compensation from provident and pension funds for ill effects suffered because of their work in mines.
The official launch of Phase III of Tuberculosis in the Mining Sector in Southern Africa(TIMS), Project took place in Lilongwe in Malawi on 25 February 2022, where the project was introduced to all the key government players to get buy in of all countries and the SADC region.
Dr Tshepo Machacha, acting Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, said “TB remains as one of the world’s greatest killers especially in the Southern Africa region which continues to carry the highest burden relative to its population. One third of all TB infections in Southern Africa can be attributed to mining activities.”
She said, “Therefore, putting miners, ex-miners, their families and communities at the greatest risk. The mining industry therefore increases the risk of TB spreading around communities and into labour sending countries across borders. Besides this increased risk of TB spreading, the risk of disruption to continuum of care for those miners receiving treatment jeopardizes their health and that of their families.”
This burden is only aggravated by the general living and working conditions that miners are subjected to. These risks have a knock on effect on ex-miners and their families due to the lack of access to quality TB services, including compensation, that would allow them to continue with treatment and providing decent housing for their families.
These are but a few of the risks that face the Key Populations and it is in tackling these issues that the TIMS project was developed.
Phase III of Tuberculosis in the Mining Sector in Southern Africa(TIMS), Phase is centered on creating a multi-sectoral approach to tackling these issues. It highlights the importance of coordinating efforts within countries as well as regionally, in ensuring the implementation of this project.
Jabu Xaba, Chairperson of the Southern African Miners Association(SAMA) said “The meeting was the first consultative meeting for regional implementation of TB eradication in the mines. The program is informed by cry of ex miners from both South Africa and 8 countries in the region being Botswana, Lesotho, Iswathini, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia.”
He said, “There was a complaint about occupational health diseases like TB, silicosis, and other lung related diseases. These diseases are compensatable in South Africa where these ex miners worked. This is important because many miners are owed compensation and very little has been done to ensure ex miners get their money from provident and pension funds.”
Xaba complained that there is no referral health care system between South Africa and labour receiving countries to assist ex miners once they have returned to their countries of origin.
“These Provident and Pension Funds are running away with people’s money. They claim they cannot find ex miners and have appointed tracing agents instead of contacting us directly,” said Xaba.
Ownership of the project by countries and the region was important to ensure that commitments made by Heads of State on Ending TB by 2030 through the Sustainable Development Goals is realized.
