GOVERNMENT has created a database of thousands of Zimbabweans, who used to work in South African mines, as it engages that country’s government to release their pensions.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Thousands of Zimbabweans migrated to South Africa in the 1970s to work in the mines, but their pensions are yet to be released by the mining companies.
Social Welfare deputy minister Tapiwa Matangaidze said the government is in the final stages of engagement with their South African counterparts to facilitate the transfer of the pensions and other benefits to the National Social Security Authority (NSSA)
“Some lawyers in South Africa and a company comprising of Zimbabwean professionals have made efforts to engage the government of each respective country to get a mandate to represent the workers,” he said.
“On our part, we have engaged the professionals and established that there are about 15 containers of documentation relating to the ex-miners and their families,” he told legislators in Parliament on Thursday.
Matangaidze was responding to a question from Kallisto Gwanetsa on what the ministry was doing to assist the former mine workers to access their terminal benefits.
“A database has been created. We are in the final stages of the engagement with the South Africa-based professionals, who will facilitate the transfer of the pension fund and other benefits owed by the South African government. The Finance and Economic Development ministry and ours are involved.
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“My ministry and, indeed, government is keen to see the successful transfer of this fund from South Africa to NSSA,” he said.
Early this year, the SA Mines 1970 Pension and Provident Funds office released a statement calling on ex-Wenela workers to contact it to access their terminal benefits.
In a notice, the Mines 1970 Pension and Provident Funds said “the trustees of the Mines 1970 Pension and Provident Funds are looking for former members (mineworkers) who worked in the South African mining industry during the years 1970 to 1980 and who may be entitled to unclaimed benefits.
“It you worked in the South African mining industry during this period and believe that you may be entitled to claim any unpaid benefits you are asked to contact the fund administration (Alexander Forbes) in South Africa to establish whether or not any unclaimed benefits are due to you or to the beneficiaries of any former member that had died.”
