Only 12 South Africa ex-miners to get Teba pension money, says Malawi minister
Minister of Labour and Manpower Development Francis Kasaila has said only 12 Malawian ex-miners who worked in South African mines nearly 30 years ago under Teba will finally get their pension money.
Between the 1960s and 1980s, several Malawians trekked to South Africa to work in mines under an arrangement with Teba Limited, which served South African mining companies and mineworkers throughout southern Africa for more than a century
Kasaila said the 12 names have come after a rigorous screening, saying the South African Financial Services Board, which looks after unclaimed funds, wanted only those ex-miners who were on contributory pension scheme.
“Some people were circulating rumours that the government had received huge sums of money from South Africa for the ex-miners, this was false. This is why the government contacted the South African government and our officials went there to verify the facts on the ground,” said Kasaila.
He said there are 53, 000 ex-miners in the country, out of which 13 000 were told to fill forms to access the pension money but only 5 000 filled the forms.
“Only 12 have qualified, they were indeed on contributory pension scheme. They will now be required to fill the last forms, the affidavits in order to access their money,” said Kasaila.
The matter was a hot electoral issue in the run up to the 1994 general election after the South African government discontinued the hiring of ex-miners from Malawi and other countries.
The then opposition, the United Democratic Front promised to resurrect the program, blaming the then ruling Malawi Congress Party for mishandling the issue.
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Out of 53, 000 ex-miners in the country, only 13 000 were approached to fill forms to access the pension funds, with only 5 000 filling the forms. Honourable Kasaila, this matter should have been taken seriously by appointing skilled people to pursue this otherwise important project. South African Pension House are renown for being very technical when it comes to payouts. It is for this reason that you would have needed a competent group of highly skilled people to run with it. It is a fact that all miners (from RSA or outside) were members of some pension scheme… Read more »
VERY TRUE. I have once dealt with about 50 ex TEBA guys and they had supporting documentation to prove their claims. I ultimately reffered them to the appropriate ministry seeing as tbere were inter’governmental efforts being pursued. Its sad to hear this claim that only 12 are eligible. Mr Minister don’t approach this matter with laxity. NO. These clakmants worked in miserable conditions, they returned and lived misdrable lives so do not cause more misery on their families. There was a provident fund administering their pension and benefitted from investing those sums. Zilondoleni mwaukadaulo. Ngati simukuzitsata bwana apezeni anthu ozitsatilawo… Read more »
Two things I know for a fact and have documentary evidence; 1) that all b
Basotho (people from Lesotho) and from other neighbouring countries have received their pension payouts and some cases with interest. 2) South African `Pension Funds put up an advert in the papers indicating billions of rands in unclaimed pension funds. Part of it was for ex miners now living in neighbouring countries. This was 2-3 years ago and our friends next door claimed it. Malawi? Well, we are still sleeping and unwilling to put in the hard work for our venerable people. A Malawi kugona kwachuluka.