The Botswana Centre for Human Rights’ move to assist the families of former mineworkers who have succumbed to silicosis lung disease is commendable.
Hundreds of migrant mine workers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region who have toiled underground at South African gold mines have died as a result of the fatal and incurable┬álung disease. There has been little or no intervention from governments to compel mining companies to compensate mineworkers for occupational diseases – at least in countries such as Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland.
The South African mining industry, it cannot be overemphasized, has for decades relied heavily on a largely rural and illiterate mining workforce which has owing to ignorance slept on its rights over the years.
Many continue to be incapacitated due to rock bursts as mining companies go deeper in the belly of the earth seeking rich mineral ore-bodies. This has left untold misery to the families of the mineworkers. Some workers have lost limbs, others are wheelchair bound and cannot meaningfully provide for their families as a result of underground accidents some of whose compensations are too meager comparted to what they went through.
Wives who were left behind to keep the home fires burning while their husbands toiled underground at South African mines to put bread on the table now have the burden of raising children single-handedly.
Ditshwanelo can derive comfort from the fact that theirs cannot be a wild goose chase. Lawyers acting for former South African mineworkers have successfully sued for compensation from asbestos mining companies based in the United Kingdom with previous interests in South Africa.
May we suggest to Ditshwanelo to work in close collaboration with The Employment Bureau of Africa (TEBA) ÔÇô the recruiting agency for the mining houses in South Africa – for easy access to documentation that would show the number of Batswana miners who worked in South Africa but died as a result of occupational health. They are to be found at companies such as Gold Fields Limited, AngloGold Ashanti and DRD Gold ÔÇô the biggest employers of Batswana mineworkers.
Further, Ditshwanelo may want to also document the number of miners currently employed at South African Mines who are constantly exposed to silica dust that causes silicosis – and with closer collaboration with relevant authorities see how those can be compensated before they die.
It is refreshing to note that finally somebody is courageous enough to stand up for the rights of a small but significant section of our population which has been ignored for far too long as far as rights are concerned.
President Khama came into office promising dignity for the poor. In one of his finest speeches to date, the President promised that he would look at the possibility of setting up a legal fund for those who cannot afford legal fees.
Many of the people affected by the diseases from the mines are from very poor backgrounds.
Ignorance of the law as well as financial disability are a major impediment to these people stopping them from seeking legal recourse.
If it is possible and if it can be of any value at all we call on the Government of Botswana to find ways that it can cooperate with Ditshwanelo to help advance the case of reclaiming some dignity for these former miners.