Regional Dialogue: Portability of Social Security Benefits for Mineworkers in Southern Africa Park Inn Hotel, Sandton: 26 – 27 March, 2015.

Regional Dialogue: Portability of Social Security Benefits for

Mineworkers in Southern AfricaPark Inn Hotel, Sandton:

26 – 27 March, 2015

BACKGROUND II Regional Dialogue is a culmination of National

Dialogues held in Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland, followed by a conducted research whose report was presented at the 1st Regional Dialogue in June 2013, by LG Mpedi and MATHIAS Nyenti.

It´s out of the 1st Regional Dialogue that was formed a Stakeholders Task force comprising govt. reps, ex-miners associations, the funds and development partners.

It´s in this regard that SAMA presents a summery of activities performed by its affiliates in Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland on mapping ex-miners to ensure speedy tracing and payment of outstanding benefits.

EX-MINER´S TESTIMONY

I was a grown up young man already when the sun set down at midday and the sky became dark. That was when I left for the mines. They put me on a scale and I weighed enough to be sent to the mine. I was on the mines at the time of Mandela’s arrest and during his release, I was still working. I worked until they sent me home because I was old. They sent older groups home in exchange of strong active people. They sent us home and that was it. They promised us life when we were still working for them but we got death, we got nothing. They lied to us. They know they owe us but how do you go about asking them?

All the miners I knew have passed away. Former Miner (63), started young and worked 33 years, left in

1997

THE PLIGHT OF EX-MINERS

Poverty. Occupational diseases such as Tuberculosis,

HIV&AIDS, Silicosis, Asbestosis, Deafness and Blindness.

Unclaimed benefits from the mine organisations. High illiteracy levels that hinder them to follow

through on their benefits as they do not read and write to manage most of their business

Lack of capital. Stranded state of minds, they mostly think that

retrenchment is the end of life.

DATA COLLECTION SITES Lesotho

Maseru Mokhotlong Qacha’s Nek Butha buthe Leribe Berea Mafeteng

South Africa

Eastern Cape

Swaziland Mbabane Manzine Siteki Nhlanga

no Piggs

Peak

Mozambique

• Moamba• Manhiça• Magude• Chókwe• Chibuto• Xai-Xai• Zavala• Homoine• Massinga

WHAT ACHIEVEMENTS

Lesotho has registered 12.000 ex-miners, & 4.000 widows on behalf of the late husbands;

Mozambique registered 5478 ex-miners, & 598 widows on behalf of the late husbands;

Swaziland registered 1.243 ex-miners, mapped for social security benefits, TB, Silicosis, Phthisis, Occupational injuries and vulnerabilities; 390 Miners data captured on the database & Database created and protected;

South Africa identified 8.723 ex-miners of which 2.766 were paid by MPF

The registration is on-going process at country level.

HOW DO WE MANAGE?

In Lesotho: Due to uncertainty on claiming compensations, we hold meetings to explain the existing funds, relevant institutions and objectives;

Mobilized and brought together 86 Data Collectors and 2 Data processors.

HOW DO WE MANAGE?

In Mozambique: Acknowledging meetings with Provincial & District Authorities to announce the miners' registration purpose and objectives and seek official support;

Hold acknowledging meetings with miners on mapping objectives to avoid raising expectations on the registration outcomes;

Train Data collectors on what kind of info to gather and why, including helping miners to understand different existing compensation Funds.

HOW DO WE MANAGE?

In South Africa: Ex-miners Union forms a strong Leadership Team to interact with government departments, MWPF, SAMA, RMA and other relevant stakeholders on issues of social security benefits;

An intergovernmental and stakeholders relationship coordinated by the Office of the Premier is built in Eastern Cape to follow the claims of ex-miners, including UIF.

HOW DO WE MANAGE?

In Swaziland: We conduct ACSM (Advocacy, Communication & Social Mobilisation)

We notice Political commitment from governments in the region and media coverage by print media – Times of Swaziland & Swazi Observer;

5 Radio slots campaigning on social security benefits reaching 95% population; 5 TV breakfast shows sensitise on social security benefits (SD, RSA).

COMMON CHALLENGES Delays and double taxation on grant transfer from Lesotho to the

national affiliates; Absence of identification docs of the late husband or ex-miners for

various reasons; Most miners not having industry number cards; Exiguity of mapping grant hinders the coverage of miners communities; Lack of transport (for data collectors) delays the data collection process; Missing information for Ex-miners more specially from 1989 before the

formation of MPF backwards; Lack of knowledge on social security benefits and the funds available on

who qualifies; Most miners not knowing what funds they contributed to; All ex-miners believe they have some money from MPF or any other

fund, including the mines. Ex-miners fail to declare their dual citizenship, as they suspect being

incriminated E.g.(a) being entitled for certain benefit in SA but bias to stand and declare, (b) being recorded as a deceased ex-miner in SA while alive in another country

COUNTRY CHALLENGES

In Mozambique: Scattered mining communities countrywide fetter the data collection process;

In Swaziland: CCOD takes long time before disbursing compensation to miners and some die crying for their compensation;

In Lesotho: Winter was not conducive to conduct data collection;

LESSONS LEARNT

IEC is an important key for the issues of miners, ex-miners and families;

Mapping exercise teaches ex-miners to understand the Funds, eg: MWPF, Sentinel, RMA, 1970 PF.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Funds should give some input on the needed info;

The Platinum Mineworkers Provident Fund should also be invited to take part of the dialogue;

Need to strengthen coordination and communication among stakeholders involved in the process from country to regional level.

CONTINUATION

Chamber of mines and the mining houses should be part and parcel of the funds disbursement to the subscribers and their beneficiaries;

The Funds must disclose every information to the subscribers and their beneficiaries e.g. Retired mineworker being entitled to burial cover even if he dies in his home country.

WAY FORWARD

Diarising the reconciliation of the information gathered by SAMA with the Funds;

To build a task team comprising of SAMA and the Funds to monitor the first bullet;

To explore more research on the vulnerability created by the delay of the funds disbursement to the subscribers and their beneficiaries.

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MUITO OBRIGADO