Claims for injuries
There are still ongoing settlement claims from other law firms representing miners who were injured.
“The colleagues representing those claimants who have been injured have submitted substantively almost all the documents required to quantify the damages for the injured personnel. We have made an offer and once it is accepted, we will make the necessary payments”
R97m paid to 253 claimants
A total of 253 of 275 claimants represented by Nkome Attorneys have collectively received R97m from the state. There are also ongoing negotiations for 11 applicants. The 11 have outstanding “issues” that are being resolved.
“The issues might be attributable to a number of instances. It could be they can’t locate their clients, or they are not able to send their clients for examination by the state. In matters of this nature, we also need a right to examine those claimants.”
Claimants must check the status of their matter with legal representatives
Pandelani said the state is not responsible for following up with the attorneys of claimants regarding payments and status of their claims.
“You could be my neighbour and you have launched a claim arising from the Marikana incident and you have preferred that claim via a lawyer somewhere else. I am in terms of the applicable prescripts precluded from asking you if you have been paid. It’s unethical on my part to do that,” he said.
