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450 SA ex-miners sue Anglo American

26 Sep 2011

In a case focusing on the plight of many Africans who worked in South African mines in the past and are now facing acute lung diseases, former Anglo American employees are suing their past employer, claiming damages for lung diseases they alleged to have contracted while digging for gold.

Law firm Leigh Day & Co is representing 450 South African black workers suing Anglo American South Africa (AASA), in the London High Court. If this application succeeds, it could be the first in many lawsuits against South Africa mining companies that exploited labour during the apartheid era.

The case is built on medical reports of thousands of former Anglo workers who are now suffering from silicosis - an occupational disease caused by prolonged or intensive inhalation of crystalline silica dust allegedly contracted from exposure to dangerous levels of dust in Anglo's gold mines. There is no treatment for silicosis. Analysts believe that compensation for apartheid era mine abuses and exploitation could total US$100 billion.

Read the full article on www.southerntimesafrica.com.