Ditshwanelo calls for occupational health and safety policy

Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday June 21, 2016 15:07

This follows the recent South African judgement on the TB/Silicosis class certification application handed down by deputy judge president Phineas Mojapelo at the Gauteng High Court on May 13, 2016. 

Ditshwanelo, together with a South African law firm, has since June 2012, conducted the registration of former and current underground Batswana mine workers employed in South African gold mines.

This was done in order for them to form part of this particular case, through a class suit.

According to Dishwanelo project coordinator Kitso Phiri, the case gave then inspiration to fight for the rights of miners and other employees who are at risk of suffering health and safety issues at the workplace.

“In Botswana some illnesses like TB are not compensated for. We need to align ourselves to international standards and come up with a framework that will favour workers like elsewhere in the world,” he said.

Phiri said they have learnt a lot and want to close the gap they have identified in Botswana mining using information they got through the case.

He said it is evident that current and former miners in Botswana have missed out on benefits befitting them and the policy should make provision for their compensation.

Phiri also expressed delight at Minister Kitso Mokaila’s utterances that the Mines, Minerals Bill is on the cards.

According to Mokaila, the Bill seeks to amend the current Mines and Minerals Act that was last reviewed in 1999.

Phiri said they will be waiting to add their input as the Bill will have the industry and the public engaged between July and August.

Preliminary reports on the accident that claimed four lives at BCL Mine in Selebi Phikwe are said to have shown there was gross negligence on the part of the management.

They have shown that management was aware that most machines at the South East Extension were old and needed replacement.

Phiri said they are going to work with all industry players to ensure such incidents do not recur, with stringent punishment for those found in the wrong.