WeeklySA_AdminMore than 7000 Mozambican mineworkers formerly employed in SA set to receive nearly R300 million as mining industry’s pension fund looks to distribute R2,7 billion in unclaimed benefits
PAYOUTS:Retired or retrenched Mozambican miners formerly employed in South Africa set to receive huge lump sums as SA mining industry’s pension fund continues to search for thousands across Southern Africa with tens of millions of rand due to them…
By Len Maseko
The Mozambican government Monday announced that more than 7 000 former Mozambican miners formerly employed in South Africa or their families will receive unclaimed pensions totalling approximately R286 million – part of nearly R2.7 billion held by the industry’s pension fund yet to be claimed.
This week, the Mozambican government launched a nationwide drive to identify these beneficiaries and track them down to be paid outstanding benefits – a massive mission jointly carried out with the South African Mineworkers Provident Fund (MWPF), an institution that provides social assistance to miners from Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
The MWPF is in possession of approximately R2.7 billion in unclaimed benefits belonging to mineworkers who left the fund without submitting or collecting their claims. Consequently, the Fund is on a mission to “significantly reduce” this figure and as such is collaborating with various stakeholders to trace the beneficiaries or their families, not only in South Africa, but also in the Southern African region.
Unclaimed benefits were those not paid to a member (mineworker) after they left the service of their employer due to resignation, retirement, retrenchment or dismissal and did not claim their benefits. A benefit becomes an unclaimed benefit 24 months after the date of exit.
Already, South Africa is saddled with a gigantic headache with financial institutions holding a staggering R88.56 billion in unclaimed assets for years, according to South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).
The figure might be much higher because of the uncertainty of what constituted an unclaimed asset and lack of reliable data, online publication Businesstech reported this week.
To tackle the problem, the FSCA was currently developing a framework that outlines the requirements for the identification, monitoring, management, tracing, and reporting of unclaimed assets.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference on Monday in Mozambique’s capital of Maputo, Ministry of Labour and Social Security Permanent Secretary Emídio Mavila said the government initiative covered 3 087 former mineworkers, with the fund totalling R285 581 885, to benefit those mine employers who were active from 1989 to 2023 in platinum, coal and gold mines in South Africa.
“These benefits result from the death, dismissal, termination of contracts or retirement of miners,” said Mavila, adding that the initiative covered former employees or their dependents from the provinces of Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane, all in southern Mozambique.
Mavila said that the campaign to identify and pay unclaimed benefits to former miners started on Monday and would run until July 20.
Mavila said posts for former miners to consult the lists have been created, and potential beneficiaries must present copies of their identity card or passport, worker identification card, payment receipt or copy of a contract with the Employment Bureau of Africa (TEBA), a labour recruiting agency for the South African mining industry, and their bank account number.
“In the event of the miner’s death, the amount will be paid to his relatives. These relatives will have to bring with them supporting documents, a copy of their identity card or passport, a copy of the miner’s labour card, a receipt for the contract with recruitment agency TEBA and a bank account number”, he explained.
The list of beneficiaries is available at the National Social Security Institute (INSS) offices in Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane. A mobile unit (a vehicle equipped with a data system for former Mozambican miners) was also available.
For his part, the MWPF chairperson, Muziwandile Ndlovo, said the mobile unit would be travelling to the locations in these three provinces announced by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
The Mozambican government, in coordination with the MWPF, will also use community radio stations to facilitate access to information by beneficiaries or their dependents.
In South Africa, the MWPF in 2022 identified the Eastern Cape as the first province that would benefit from this initiative to search for pension beneficiaries, conducting roadshows that started in July earmarked until the end of August 2022. The roadshows aimed to locate and pay-out more than R300 million in unclaimed benefits to ex-miners or beneficiaries in the Eastern Cape.
The MWPF said prospective beneficiaries entitled to come to enquire about unclaimed benefits included the following:
• Former miners who worked in the coal, gold, or platinum mines from 1989 to date;
• Retired and retrenched members of the MWPF;
• Former miners who were discharged from mines when they resigned, dismissed or discharged due to medical incapacity or ill-health;
• Beneficiaries of members of the MWPF who were no longer working or had since passed away.
Anyone who fell within the above-mentioned categories is required to send their Makhulu Skop/ Industry Number, Payslip, their last MWPF benefit statement and their contact details to clientservices@mineworkers.co.za / or call 010 100 3000 to find out if they have any benefits due to them, or visit our website at www.mwpf.co.za for more information.
For millions of other South Africans who might want to inquire whether they have any unclaimed benefits due to them, they are advised to visit the FSCA website which has a search tool to assist enquirers. – Additional reporting by AIM and Businesstech
