Publications
Partners
In a landmark judgment, the South Gauteng High Court ruled in favour of mine workers to launch a silicosis class action suit against mining companies.
“We have reached the consensus that there are sufficient common issues to justify the class action. There will be two classes [for silicosis and for tuberculosis],” Deputy Judge President Phineas Mojapelo told the court this morning.
“All the mining companies are accused of failing to protect health of the employees when they were legally bound to do so and as a result causing [the mine workers] to contract TB and silicosis,” Mojapelo said.
He was delivering judgment in the historic silicosis class action, Bongani Nkala and 55 others v Harmony Gold Mining Company Ltd and 31 others.
The judgment means this is the largest class action to ever be certified in South Africa and it allows hundreds of thousands of gold miners and their families to access justice and redress. More to follow. – Fin24
