An outreach programme to facilitate the payment of unclaimed compensation benefits to eligible former mineworkers in the Free State will be held at the Rand Mutual Hospital in Welkom. Taking place on 21 and 22 September, the programme is undertaken by three departments: Health, Minerals Resources and Energy as well as Employment and Labour.
Eligible former mineworkers and the surviving dependants of deceased mineworkers in the Lejweleputswa region and surrounding area in the Free State, are urged to attend the two-day programme. The programme will last from 08:00 until 16:00.
The outreach programme’s aim is to assist former mineworkers who lodged claims for payment of compensation benefits while working in the mines. These benefits include pension and provident funds, or contracted occupational health diseases and silicosis.
Foster Mohale, national spokesperson for the Department of Health, said former mineworkers and the surviving dependants of the deceased must present documents as proof they worked in the mines.
They can bring identity documents (IDs), cards bearing persal numbers, or any document as proof.
“They must come forward and check if they have unclaimed social protection benefits due to them. The programme is part of government`s efforts to track, trace, and pay the former mine workers or their dependants who qualify for compensation funds. To date, more than R1 billion has been paid out to qualifying beneficiaries,” said Mohale.
Beneficiaries are those in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, infected with TB and silicosis. This unclaimed benefits service is free of charge. Relatives, member-nominated beneficiaries, next of kin, spouse, parents, or siblings of a deceased member may qualify as a beneficiary of an unclaimed benefit.
For more information about lodging claims and checking the payment status, call the free hotline number at 080-1000-240 or send a “Please Call Me” to 072-557-8077.
