The Price of gold A photography project by Thom Pierce

In South Africa, the prevalence of silicosis among gold mineworkers is said to be one of the highest in the world. In May 2016 the high court in Johannesburg decided that a class action lawsuit could be laid against 32 gold mining companies in South Africa. Three law firms represented a group of miners who were applying for this class action certification on behalf of all miners suffering from silicosis and pulmonary tuberculosis as a result of working in the gold mines.

Silicosis is a preventable but incurable lung disease that is contracted in the gold mines through inadequate protection from silica dust. Miners who contract silicosis get tired and out of breath quickly. They are prone to lung infections, respiratory failure and TB.

Over a period of 20 days in September and October 2015, Thom Pierce traveled around South Africa’s Eastern Cape, into Lesotho and up to Johannesburg to find and photograph the 56 miners and widows named in the court documents. This project was commissioned by the Treatment Action Campaign and Section 27.

Bongani Nkala is the first named person in the lawsuit against the gold mines and for that reason he is the miner most often named in the media. In truth he has no knowledge of this and is unaware of the many articles that have mentioned him over the last few months. Mr Nkala worked at Harmony Gold for 15 years and was sent home from the mine hospital after six months of tuberculosis treatment. He was diagnosed with silicosis and was paid R50 000 in compensation (approx. $3,600 or £2,360). He used the compensation money to buy a Toyota Avanza van and worked as a taxi driver until 2009 until he could no longer afford the maintenance on his car. “We were always aware that something could happen" he said as he described a time when seven of his fellow workers died in a rock fall about six metres away from him. "The hardhats were squashed flat under the rocks," recalled. "The safety procedures were not followed," he continued "We weren't given dust masks and we were never told about the dangers of silica dust.” © Thom Pierce
Mzawubalalekwa Diya, 60 years old, fell sick in 2003 when he was working at Goldfields Mine. He was coughing up blood and admitted to hospital. He was retrenched two years later and was never given the results of his exit medical examination. When a law firm took him for an x-ray it was discovered that he had silicosis. After 27 years of service at the mine he did not receive any compensation. His wife, Macetshwayo, now supports them by working as a cook at the local school. Mr Diya was part of a traditional singing group called Abavukizi (Gold Diggers) who used to write and perform on their days off. When a group of workers were trapped underground, they wrote a song to celebrate and thank the mine for the rescue operation. © Thom Pierce
Makatleho Selibo is the Widow of Mahola Selibo who worked as a team leader at President Steyn mine in Welkom. He worked underground for 33 years. He passed away in 2013 and suffered from tuberculosis and silicosis. He did not receive any compensation from the mines. On the weekends at the mines he would run a shoe repair business, fixing the broken soles of his colleagues; shoes. Mr and Mrs Selibo had four children and she now survives on subsistence farming and livestock. © Thom Pierce
Masiko Somi fell sick while home on leave. He had been screened at work but had not been told that there was anything wrong with him. He travelled to see a private doctor in Kokstad in KwaZulu-Natal who advised him to stay at home for a while to get better. He could not communicate with the mine and when he returned to work he was dismissed because he was late. Masiko had worked at President Steyn Mine for 19 years and was not compensated for his silicosis. “I have tried to get work for the last 20 years but my health has not allowed me to,” he said “ We survive by getting temporary jobs from neighbours, building fences and ploughing mielie (corn) fields”. © Thom Pierce
Sekhobe Letsie is 72 years old and lives on the outskirts of Maseru, Lesotho. Born in 1942 he started work in the mines in 1970, when he was 28 years old. He now has four children and lives off the little bit of farming he can manage and money from his son. He is confused about his medical condition and was adamant that he had never been taken for medical screening while on the mines. He has silicosis and has not received any compensation. © Thom Pierce
Thulenkho Kuswana, 57, was a winch driver and worked on the mines for 33 years. In 2009 he was diagnosed with silicosis and was told to go home and wait for compensation. Six years later and he has still received nothing. He recalled a time in the late seventies when he was called to help rescue other miners that were trapped underground. They managed to rescue 13 people but three others lost their lives. © Thom Pierce
Ezekiel Mutsana Masupha is 61 years old and is originally from Lesotho. He is now staying in Welkom in the Free State. He worked in the mines for 37 years and has silicosis from exposure to silica dust underground. His poor health prevents him from working and he survives off a social grant and a pension. To supplement their income his his wife is farming in Lesotho but his children are living in South Africa. © Thom Pierce
Manthatuda Josephina Lebina is the widow of Liphang Lebina and lives in Ha Mpo, Maseru in Lesotho. She is 72 years old and has to survive by selling vegetables. Her husband was never compensated when he became sick with silicosis. He worked on the gold mines for 10 years as a store attendant at Free State Saaiplaas and a boilermaker and locomotive driver at President Brand. © Thom Pierce
Zolisa Jejana, 56, was diagnosed with Pulmonary tuberculosis after he had left his job on the gold mines. He was retrenched in 1989 due to his participation in a three-day strike where 59 miners stayed underground for three days. At the time they were earning R1000 a month (approx. £50) and were demanding a wage increase. All 59 miners were retrenched. Mr Jejana received no compensation for his illness and now tries to pick up casual work as a bricklayer. With the small amount of work he can get he needs to support his wife and 6 children. © Thom Pierce
Monde Mxesibe lives alone in Zagwityi near Butterworth in the Eastern Cape. He is 62 years old and worked on the mines for 26 years. He has Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB of the lungs) and in 1996 the mine told him that he would be compensated. He has still received nothing. He says that the scariest thing about working on the mine was the lift journey to go underground. About 75 people would cram into a three-storey cage, which was held by just one steel cable. He heard that the rope had once broken on another mine and everyone in the lift had died. He tried hard not to think about it and focused on the money he was making to send home to his parents. Mr Mxesibe’s big dream in life was to own a car but he never managed to save enough money. © Thom Pierce
Myekelwa Mkenyane was 18 when he started working in the gold mines. He worked for 35 years and was discharged in 2009 when he was diagnosed with silicosis. He received R36 000 in compensation (approx. £1,700 or $2,580) but has not been able to work since. “It was very hard to leave my family behind but, because I wanted to support them financially I had no choice but to be away for so long…When there was blasting underground, I cannot forget it. I still remember the dust from the explosions. That is what makes me sick today.” © Thom Pierce
Zwelengaba Mgidi spent all of his free time training to be a boxer while he was working at Harmony Gold Mine. He fought under the name “Fix” and would train after work during the week and compete at the weekends. Now he says that he cannot even walk to the gate in his garden without getting out of breath. He is 55 years old and has silicosis. After 34 years working as a winch driver and team leader he was compensated R83 000 (approx. £4,000) and sent home. © Thom Pierce

Color street photo of woman in train by Tommi Viitala

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