14 Oct 2025

Some 560 Batswana ex-miners who have worked in the South Africa mines are eligible to get a share from the R74 million in the Mine Workers Provident Fund (MWPF).

The fund in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs has disbursed officers who were currently engaging with the community across the country to identity eligible beneficiaries of the funds.

The claims only applies to ex-miners who worked in the Coal, Platinum and Gold mines from 1989 to date and were members of the fund. On Saturday and Monday, ex-mine workers and their beneficiaries gathered at Molepolole College of Education (MCE) and Molepolole Sports Complex respectively to confirm their claims with the fund.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, the Principal Executive Officer of the fund, Mr France Phagadi said they were expecting to assist 560 beneficiaries in Botswana. Mr Phagadi said team had  so far identified beneficiaries in Goodhope, Kanye and Molepolole where hundreds of people gathered to enquire about the fund.

Mr Phagadi said it was unfortunate that many were not in their data base, since they have worked for different mines, which were not part of the fund.

Mr Phagadi said the Provident Fund came into effect in 1989 covering specific, hence some were not in the data base either having worked before the fund was launched or for a mine that was not under the fund. He said the team was working hard for all the members of the fund or their beneficiaries to receive their dues.

“Our data base show that we have about 180 people to assist in Molepolole but more than 2 000 people showed up, and we cannot turn them away, we must assist all of them to put their cases to rest,” he said.

Mr Phagadi said the fund to come to Botswana to assist its members after noting that it would be costly and tedious for them to travel to South Africa and the risks associated with processing a monetary claim.

He added tthey were happy that  the Fund members were still alive saying they would invest their money. However, Mr Phagadi said it was sad that some of their members had died. But, he said  the beneficiaries. would be receive the money.

He said all the eligible members of the fund would start to receive their benefits in the coming two weeks. He said the Fund has dispatched two teams of officials who were currently travelling the country, identifying fund members, adding that the process would conclude in Gaborone on October 18, 2025.

One of the members who preferred to remain anonymous, said he had worked for the mines from 1989 and left his work in 1996, and was happy to have joined the pensions fund as it was now bearing fruits.

Another ex-miner who spoke thanked the fund for coming to Botswana as he almost gave up after experiencing challenges travelling to South Africa to process their claims. ENDS