"Sick miners to bring class action lawsuit against coal mining companies", 18 oct 2018

...Ndou Tshifhwa Constance‚ a 51-year-old widow from Limpopo...is being helped by Catholic bishops to bring a class action suit against South African coal mining companies. Her late husband worked on the mines for more than 10 years. He was retrenched due to his medical condition but never received any compensation‚ and he died from black lung disease...

Bishop Abel Gabuza said in a statement on Thursday: “The mines need to take both ethical and legal responsibility for the sick miners.”

Richard Spoor Attorneys are preparing the class action on behalf of the sick miners. Richard Spoor was one of the lawyers involved in the silicosis class action against gold mining companies‚ which resulted in a R5-billion settlement.

The sick coal miners are from Limpopo‚ Eastern Cape‚ Free State‚ Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal‚ said Gabuza...

The SACBC's Justice and Peace Commission said it hoped that the legal action would ensure justice and restore dignity to the miners...