Cape: Memo from Community
and National Union of Mineworkers

National Union of Mineworkers Kimberley Region Centre Sixteen 18-26 New Main St. Kimberley 8301 PO Box 2023 Kimberley 8300 Tel: (+0027) (053) 833 4993 / 833 4942 / 833 1501 Fax: (+0027) (053) 832 7064 4 November 1999 Memorandum from the Community of Prieska and the National Union of Mineworkers to the Minister of Justice in South Africa on the case of Afrika & others - v - Cape Plc on Asbestos 1. We want the Minister of Justice to know that we don’t think that our case is being taken seriously by the English Courts. We want to tell the English Government this and find out why this is happening. It took the English Courts only five minutes to consider all the difficult issues in our case. They are showing that they do not take us or our case seriously by the big delay in giving us reasons why they dismissed our case. The English Courts are ignoring the pain of African workers and communities. 2. We are saying to the Minister of Justice that we are in support of the case being heard in London for the following reasons: The victims cannot get justice in South Africa. There is no legal aid and lawyers will not take the case on. Cape plc left South Africa in 1979. They left our areas but left behind thousands of people injured and dying. They have never compensated any South African. 3. The community demands that the owners of these Asbestos mines take full responsibility on causes of Asbestos related diseases, human suffering, environmental degradation and that they take the responsibility for compensating and rehabilitating all communities affected by Asbestos. 4. We further demand access to the companies information relating to Asbestos related diseases (ARD’s) that must be broadened to include both an understanding of diseases as well as how to prevent further exposure. 5. We further demand that there should be no differentiation between the ex-mineworkers and the affected communities in proximity to the mines, with regard to compensation. 6. We further demand the repayment of government millions of Rands spent on rehabilitation, remediation and health service provision. 7. We call on the Minister of Justice to raise these issues with the South African High Commissioner in London and the British Government.   Signed at Prieska on the 4th day of November 1999 for and on behalf of the Minister of Justice Prieska Magistrate National Union of Mineworkers Prieska Community Representatives