Admin
03 Jul, 2026
Tshiamiso Trust payments must lead to safer workplaces
Statement by Bulelani Bobotyane, Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) welcomes reports that the Tshiamiso Trust has paid R2.7 billion in compensation to former gold mineworkers and the dependants of deceased mineworkers who suffered from silicosis and occupational tuberculosis. This is an important step towards justice for workers who carried the health burden of South Africa’s gold mining economy. For generations, mineworkers gave their labour, their health and, in many cases, their lives to an industry that created great wealth while many workers and their families were left with illness, poverty and loss. The UDM notes that this compensation arises from the historic class-action settlement involving major gold mining companies. It confirms what mineworkers, rural communities and labour-sending areas have known for decades: that the human cost of mining was carried not only underground, but also in homes, villages and communities across South Africa and the Southern African region. The UDM is particularly mindful of the Eastern Cape, Lesotho and other labour-sending areas, where many families have lived with the consequences of occupational disease long after mineworkers returned home sick, unable to work, or passed away without proper recognition of the cause of their illness. This matter must also be viewed alongside South Africa’s painful asbestos history. Former asbestos mineworkers and affected communities also had to rely on compensation mechanisms after exposure caused serious and often fatal disease. These experiences show that occupational and environmental health failures can damage workers, families and communities for generations. South Africa cannot keep repeating this pattern, where workers are exposed to danger, communities carry the consequences, and compensation comes only years or decades later after legal action, illness and death. While the R2.7 billion payment is welcome, the UDM remains concerned that many claims have not yet been finalised. The process must not become so technical, slow or inaccessible that vulnerable former mineworkers and dependants are excluded because they lack documents, medical records, proper death certificates or the resources to navigate the system. The UDM calls on the Tshiamiso Trust, the mining companies concerned, government departments, traditional leaders, municipalities and civil society organisations to intensify outreach, especially in rural areas, so that every qualifying former mineworker and dependant is assisted to lodge and complete a claim. However, this matter cannot only be about compensation after harm has already been done. It must also be about prevention. Companies must place the health and safety of employees at the centre of how they do business. Workers are not disposable, and no industry should be allowed to generate profit while long-term health costs are shifted onto workers, families, public health systems and poor communities. The UDM calls on mining companies and all employers in high-risk industries to strengthen occupational health systems, conduct regular medical screening, maintain proper employment and health records, provide safe working environments, invest in prevention, and act immediately when workplace conditions place employees or surrounding communities at risk. Government must also strengthen oversight and enforcement to ensure that companies comply with occupational health, safety and environmental obligations in practice, not only on paper. The UDM welcomes the progress made, but insists that the work is not complete until every qualifying claimant has been reached, assisted and paid what is due to them. Looking ahead, South Africa must ensure that no worker or community is ever again forced to sacrifice their health in silence, only for justice to arrive decades too late.
Admin
13 Jul, 2020
Is our healthcare system actually ready for President Ramaphosa’s coronavirus storm?
We listened attentively to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcements regarding stricter regulations governing our lives in the face of the exponential increase of Coronavirus infections in South Africa. The United Democratic Movement Youth Vanguard (UDMYV) has noted that the President couched this decision as being necessary to relieve the pressure on our healthcare system. An immediate ban on alcohol was also imposed, because of misbehaving citizens who land in hospital due to alcohol related injuries and this takes up much-needed bed space. What we do not understand is that Health Minister Zweli Mkhize was super confident that our healthcare system was ready to deal with an enemy that has felled first world countries’ healthcare systems. Now the President, in so many words, admitted that our healthcare system is in fact under severe pressure and is not ready, as there is, for instance, still a serious shortage of more than 12,000 health workers. We hear of hospitals that have no water, staff who receive substandard personal protective equipment, bulk Covid-19 infections of hospital staff and how fear and anxiety are causing panic among them. To make matters worse, we understand that analysis of the coronavirus’ genome sequence found a mutation, which makes the virus more infectious than the original strain; we better hope and pray this mutation does not happen in South Africa. The mysterious National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and Cabinet are making and breaking as they please and never unpack their decisions satisfactorily. We therefore call on Parliament, as the oversight arm of the state that holds the executive to account, to investigate our healthcare system’s state of readiness. Who was speaking the truth when? Something is severely wrong here. Lastly, the UDMYV feels strongly that the NCCC must go back to the drawing board and eliminate some inequalities in their regulations. If children are forced to go back to school and risk coronavirus infection, Parliament must, with immediate effect, suspend its hybrid model of sitting, and all Members of Parliament must go back to their benches to work. We do not understand why it is different strokes for different folks. Where we do agree with the President is that we must unite in making sure that we win the fight against the coronavirus, it is indeed in our hands (quite literally) and no one will help us, except us. Let us spread the message to wear masks and wash hands and hold each other accountable, we need to be responsible not just for ourselves, but also for others; especially the frontline healthcare workers who daily put their lives on the line to take care of ours. Issued by: Mr Yongama Zigebe UDM Youth Vanguard
Admin
17 Oct, 2013
Health Department in ICU
Health Department in ICU – statement by Mr Bongani Msomi (UDM Secretary General) on 12 September 2013 The United Democratic Movement (UDM) notes the commissioning of a five-person task team to investigate issues in the Eastern Cape relating to the growing health crisis. It is evident that the Minister does not have his finger on the pulse of the nation’s health, and that this token is definitely too little too late. To add insult to injury, the setting up of a commission is an exceptionally costly exercise since Minister Motsoaledi is quite aware of the problems facing the Health Department. The UDM suggests that he should have used the department machinery and saved costs, instead of commissioning a task team. This indicates that the ANC led government is in power but not in control. It seems that the Health Department has been in the ICU for quite some time, and the measures put in place didn’t yield positive results. Even the ANC government’s grand turnaround strategy has failed. The UDM strongly advises the Minister to ensure that the mandate of the Task Team is broad, and to include an investigation into the identification of officials who looted state resources, to recommend how state coffers can be recovered from these disgraceful officials, and a recommendation as to ways and means of sterilizing the department from corruption officials.
