People who want to claim from the Tshiamiso Trust can do so at any of its lodgment sites in the country.

No one, including lawyers, is allowed to put the claim on behalf of a mineworker. The families of the miners who have died can claim on behalf of their loved ones.

If the claimant is still alive, a benefit medical examination has to be conducted in which the lung-functioning test and a chest X-ray is done.

Once that is done, the information goes to a trust committee and if it passes it goes to the certification committee, which looks at all the evidence and makes a recommendation on how much the person must be paid.

The application then goes to an agent – a person who represents the mines – who has 90 days to agree or disagree with the recommendation.

If they agree, bank accounts are validated and the trust makes the payment.

If a claimant is not happy with the decision taken by the trust, there is a formal appeal process available that they can pursue.