More than R40 million has been paid to ex-mine workers and their families in the Eastern Cape, as the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) wrapped up a long-running outreach programme at Mthatha Stadium on Friday, putting long-awaited benefits directly into the hands of the people who earned them.
The programme, run by the UIF as an entity of the Department of Employment and Labour, brought government services to former mine workers and beneficiaries seeking help with outstanding claims, occupational diseases and other benefits.
Money Reaching the People Who Need It
Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth said the numbers tell the story of how needed the programme is. On its very first day, 13 July 2026, the department paid claims worth R1.4 million, and payments have since climbed beyond R40 million.
“These are people who lost their husbands who worked in the mines, people who got injured, people who got occupational diseases like silicosis and TB, who are coming here searching for help, and it’s good that they’re finding their money,” the Minister said.
What made the outreach especially valuable, Meth noted, is that payments could be made on the spot. Banks were on site to help too, with FNB assisting beneficiaries who did not have bank accounts to open them, and African Bank playing a role in facilitating access to banking services.
Government Working as One Team
The outreach brought together the Office of the Premier, national and provincial Health and Social Development departments, the UIF and the Compensation Fund, along with claims agent Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA). Interns bolstered RMA’s capacity to process claims, while the Department of Health provided X-rays and other medical services on site.
Minister Meth and Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane also joined a round-table discussion with ex-mine workers at the Mthatha Health Resource Centre at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, where workers, government and stakeholders shared experiences and reported on progress in processing benefits and compensation.
“It is a very important programme, much needed by our people. You can see the numbers that come out whenever there is this outreach,” Meth said, commending the officials involved. “It is not child’s play, and we appreciate the work done by our officials.”
Restoring What Is Owed
The outreach forms part of government’s broader effort to reach former mine workers and their families, particularly those who struggled to access compensation and benefits for occupational injuries and diseases.
For the widows, retired workers and families who left Mthatha Stadium with claims settled and bank accounts opened, the programme delivered something precious: proof that persistence pays, and that the system can work for the people it was built to serve.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Leave a Reply