In Section 17 in Embalenhle township, Secunda, a town built on the back of gold mining and Sasol's coal-to-liquid operation , Busisiwe Sikabhu waits, desperate for the money she is owed. The widow of a miner who died of lung disease, she is one of thousands of South Africans due a pension or payout under the Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act. She can be found most days at the offices of Teba, The Employment Bureau of Africa, in Evander. This may not even be the right place for her to seek compensation; it is simply one of the few doors into officialdom that she knows. "I have no food. I survive by the grace of my neighbours who understand my problems. When days are dire I literally go to the streets and beg, just to have something for my stomach," she said. Sikabhu hails from Bizana in the Eastern Cape. Her husband died in 2009 after being in and out of hospital with tuberculosis, which can be caused by the dust underground that mineworkers are exposed to. "I would scream...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.