A group of about 800 protesting former miners from the Eastern Cape who were evicted from the Tshwane city hall on Monday were being cared for by residents on Tuesday.
”The group has been separated into two smaller groups of about 300 and 500 each and they are staying in open halls in blocks of flats in the Pretoria CBD,” said Willie Fuledi, spokesperson for the Ex-Mineworkers’ Union of SA.
Fuledi said after the group had been moved from the city hall by metro police on Monday afternoon and were then taken in by city residents at Schubart Park Flats and at another block of flats in the city centre where they have been supplied with dinner and breakfast.
”The residents of the flats are Christians and they have volunteered to allow our members to stay at the flats and give them food until we have resolved our matters,” said Fuledi.
The elderly members of the Union of Ex-Mineworkers’ of SA gathered about three weeks ago at the Union Buildings, demanding compensation and pensions due to them from their time working in the country’s mines, for some, as many as 20 years ago.
On Monday Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said the department had been working on the issue for about three years, since he first learned of the situation when he visited the Eastern Cape during an imbizo tour.
The minister said about R53-million had been owed to the miners at the time, from when they had been working under the previous regime and in the former homelands.
Mdladlana said the department’s Compensation Fund was working with union leader Elliot Nomazele to track down those who were owed money.
”Every one of the miners who was found to be on the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s system has already been paid out in full.
”But it is extremely difficult to resolve the problems of the homeland system and track down every last person who previously worked as a miner,” said the minister.
Fuledi said the union was now seeking to launch a court action against the police for removing its members from the Union Buildings and the city hall.
The union has also claimed as many as four of its members died during the protests, when they slept outside the Union Buildings in the cold. City hospitals and police could not confirm the claims. – Sapa