The picturesque village of Lusikisiki‚ with its colourful houses dotting the hills‚ is where Zama Gangi‚ 60‚ came to wait for death after working in the mines for 31 years.

He had to return home to the Eastern Cape in 2008 with a disease that robbed him of the ability to work.

Gangi was diagnosed with silicosis‚ a lung disease caused by the silica dust found in mines.

He is one of those tracked down by Richard Spoor Inc Attorneys and American law firm Motley Rice LLC to be part of a planned class action for compensation on behalf of former and current mine workers who contracted silicosis or tuberculosis (TB) while working in mines.

The lawyers have cited 32 gold mining companies as respondents and are in the process of having the case certified as a class action. A class action is a law suit defended by an individual on behalf of a group.

Spoor has already won millions in a class action for compensation for former asbestos mine workers suffering from asbestos-related diseases.

As a bore machine operator‚ Gangi said worked in hot and dusty mine shafts but he used a mask which he never took off.

In 2008‚ he went to the mine doctor for a “service” – a check-up for miners coming back to work from home – and that’s when he found out he had silicosis.

“Since 2004‚ his body hasn’t been okay‚ he was always tired‚” his wife‚ Matshezi‚ 50‚ said.

Matshezi said her husband nearly died on New Year’s Eve when he collapsed‚ unable to breathe.

Tobile Nyathwa‚ 63‚ of Lusikisiki said he received R34000 as compensation for him contracting silicosis while working as a bore machine operator in a Free State mine.

Nyathwa was diagnosed with silicosis in 2006 but he continued working until 2009‚ when he was declared medically unfit following a diagnosis of TB

He lost his wife‚ Magawa‚ 59‚ to TB shortly after.

His son Ndumiso‚ 35‚ has taken his place at the mine.

“He’ll probably get it [silicosis]. There’s nothing I can do‚ there are no jobs‚” said Nyathwa.

“The bosses said I must bring my child. I said he must go so he can also buy bread because if he stays here he will become a criminal.”

Siponono Phahlam‚ 62‚ also tried to get one of his sons to take his place in the mine‚ but he could not get jobs for them because they don’t have matric.

“We can’t stop working because of tisis (silicosis)‚” Phahlam said‚ adding that not everyone gets it.

Phahlam shook out two plastic bags of medication on the coffee table in his home in Bizana in the Eastern Cape.

He has become dependent on the boxes and bottles of pills.

A normal day means taking up to 10 sinusitis pills just to be able to breathe.

He was diagnosed with silicosis in 1994 and stopped working at Kusasalethu mine‚ formerly Elandsrand‚ in Gauteng three years later.

“They let you work until you can’t‚” said the former stone blaster‚ who worked long hours underground to earn performance bonuses.

He said he did not receive a severance package or compensation for contracting silicosis.

“I played with my life in the mines‚ and to not even get my package.”