The South African mining industry is facing “a very serious” threat from silicosis claims that could result in implied damage of $100-billion, says RBC Capital Markets equity research unit. RBC analyst Leon Esterhuizen and associate analysts Arnold van Graan and Ben McEwen say that the ruling of the Constitutional Court of South Africa in favour of Thembekile Mankayi opens the door to him and thousands of other silicosis sufferers to sue the South African mining companies. “The implied damage to the gold Industry could be $100-billion,” the analysts calculate. Since AngloGold Ashanti lost the first case, a new case has been lodged with a claim of almost R2,5-million for damages. [This could also affect Anglo American].
See http://www.miningweekly.com/article/south-african-mining-facing-potential-100bn-silicosis-damage-rbc-2011-05-09.