12 Apr 2017

Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) official Dr Botshelo Kgwaadira has said the ministry’s response to challenges of ex mine workers has been confined to occupational health interventions on diseases such as TB, Silicosis, Pneumoconiosis and other occupational diseases both locally and internationally.

Speaking at a regional widows forum organised by Botswana Labour Migrants Association (BoLAMA) in collaboration with South African Miners Association (SAMA) recently, Dr Kgwaadira said the long standing issue of TB in the mines in relation to compensation for ex-miners and their families needs a multi stakeholder approach.

Dr Kgwaadira said there is a programme in the MoHW under the Department of Public Health responsible for linking ex-mine workers and the Medical Bureau of Occupational Disease for TB, Silicosis compensation.

“We do active screening of ex-miners once every two years done by the districts and the information is sent to the Department of Public Health,” he added.

He acknowledged challenges particularly faced by widows that they are quite taxing when an ex-miner has died without assessment of the ministry to intervene where the Medical Bureau of Diseases states that such cases are outside their scope.

Dr Kgwaadira said the MoHW has signed the SADC declaration of TB and the code of conduct for TB in the mining sector as part of interventions instituted with SADC member states.

He further said Botswana is establishing an occupational health centre in Molepolole hopefully before the end of May where ex-miners and their families will be screened for TB and also linked to compensation.

He said he believes that the forum will unlock the stumbling blocks to the complex issue.

For her part, the widows forum coordinator, Ms Mosiamise Moalafi cited that widows from both South Africa and Botswana government feel that their governments are not doing enough in helping ex-mine workers and widows with attaining their post-employment benefits.

Ms Moalafi said a recent study conducted in some villages in Botswana shows that most widows were not given their husband’s compensation and employment benefits.

“Some mine workers were retrenched because they were infected, some were injured at the workplace making them unproductive and some even lost their lives and none of them received any compensation from the mines nor the government,” she said.

She said all widows interviewed said they have not received any form of assistance from both the South African and Botswana governments.

She stated that since most ex-mine workers and widows are illiterate, this makes them not to query about their benefits.

“They are ignorant of the law to enquire about their rights due to illiteracy," she said.

She said most widows in Botswana mentioned that The Employment Bureau of Africa (TEBA)-Botswana did not do enough in helping them more so that the office staff lack capacity training.

“Office staff at TEBA office are not Batswana, so this poses a communication challenge on widows during consultation,” she added. ENDS