My father died in 2006. He worked as a miner at Harmony Gold. Can I claim from the Tshiamiso Trust?

The long answer

If your father was diagnosed with silicosis or TB before he died, or if there is an autopsy report that confirms that he died of silicosis or TB, you as a dependent can make a claim to the Tshiamiso Trust. 

The Tshiamiso Trust was established to provide compensation for miners who contracted silicosis or TB after doing risk work in mines, after a R5.2-billion settlement in court was reached in 2019 between participating gold mines (including Harmony) and the lawyers who represented the whole class of affected miners. (Risk work is mining work that exposes a mineworker to silica dust which can cause silicosis and TB. Silica is found in gold ore.)

The Trust would provide compensation for mineworkers who worked at qualifying gold mines between March 12, 1965, and December 10, 2019, for twelve years. The Trust is supposed to end in February 2031.

But a claim for a mineworker who died before 10 December 2019, will only qualify if the main cause of death is attributed to silicosis or TB. So, if your father worked at Harmony and it can be proved that he died of silicosis or TB in 2006, you would be able to claim as a dependent. 

The first step in laying a claim is to call the Tshiamiso call centre at 080 1000 240. If they think you have a valid claim, they will direct you to the next step. 

The Tshiamiso Trust website says that each claimant needs to book an appointment and bring all necessary documents to lodge the claim in person.

As a dependant of a deceased mineworker, you would need to show them the following documents:

• Your valid SA ID document or (SADC passport)

• Your deceased father’s SA ID document (or SADC passport)

• Service records from Harmony Gold where he worked  

• Your deceased father’s death certificate and, if available, an autopsy report

• Any available medical records of your deceased father

On 30 August 2024, TimesLive reported that about 19,000 claims had been paid by the Tshiamiso Trust to date, but that only 2,613 (14%) of the 19,000 had been paid for deceased mineworkers. This could be because the deceased mineworker claims needed to be proved by autopsies in the absence of medical reports. It would be wise to prepare for delays, but keep going if you have a case.

Wishing you the best,
Athalie