Outreach projects

During the course of 2017, a new series of outreach projects, in respect of unpaid and unclaimed benefits for former mineworkers, unfolded. By the end of the year, these programmes had visited Matatiele, Bizana, Lusikisiki, Tsolo, Qumbu, Engcobo, Welkom, Pongola, Vryheid and Klerksdorp. In 2018, further outreach events were held at Flagstaff, Carletonville, Kuruman and Thaba Nchu. In addition, a demonstration of an outreach event was held in Johannesburg during a visit by the then World Bank president Dr Jim Yong Kim.

Initially focused on dealing with medical compensation claims, they developed in various ways as new lessons were learned and opportunities uncovered.

In addition to the MBOD, unions and Working Group companies, these exercises now have the participation of the Department of Labour, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Commissioner, TEBA, several pension and provident funds, the Financial Services Board, and Ubank and Absa. This means that former mineworkers in these mining towns and labour sending areas can now:

• Get their official work records needed tmake claims for unpaid benefits
• Receive medical benefit examinations
• Apply for compensation for occupational diseases
• Claim their UIF benefits
• Establish whether or not they have retirement fund benefits due to them, and claim if they do
• Open bank accounts needed for payment of these benefits

We photographed and filmed the event at Mqanduli. A slideshow and short video can be seen here.