South African gold miners can appeal silicosis ruling

Cecilia Jamasmie | September 21, 2016 | 8:23 am Base Metals Precious Metals Africa Europe Gold Platinum

South African court backs once empowered, always empowered principle

Drilling at Great Noligwa underground gold mine. (Image: AngloGold Ashanti)

South Africa’s top gold mining companies will be able to appeal against a recent court ruling allowing the country’s biggest-ever class action to go ahead, a lawyer for the miners said Wednesday.

They will appeal verdict that paved the way for about half a million current and former miners to proceed with a multi-million-dollar suit, South Africa’s biggest-ever class action.

Such verdict paved the way for about half a million current and former miners to proceed with a multi-million-dollar suit, which seeks compensation for those who contracted lung diseases, such as silicosis and tuberculosis, while working for the companies mentioned in the suit.

Anglo American (LON:AAL), Africa’s top bullion producer AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU), Harmony Gold (NYSE:HMY), Gold Fields (NYSE, JSE:GFI), Sibanye Gold (NYSE:SBGL) (JSE:SGL), and African Rainbow Minerals (JSE:ARI), will now be able to appeal against all aspects of the class certification judgment delivered in May.

The next step for six miners, which formed last year a group to look at compensation and medical care for workers who acquired occupational lung disease, also known as silicosis, is to file their notices of appeal, said the lawyer.