SOUTH-AFRICA-L Archives

Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 1999-01 > 0915950346


From: MICHAEL O'CONNOR<michael.o' >
Subject: Re: SOUTH AFRICAN RAILWAYS
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 08:39:06 +0200 (GMT)


Thanks Heidi and Graham for your replies.

What I was hoping for was to hear from somebody who has actually approached
the SAR&H pension department at the Johannesburg Station and who had
actually found out about which people were railway pensioners and what
length and type of service they had had on the Railways. I do not think that
each province keeps these records individually but that they are centralised
in Johannesburg.

As far as the mines go I know from experience that everybody who works on a
mine has to acquire what is known as a "red ticket". This is issued by a
central registry (?Chamber of Mines) and has something to do with miners'
phthisis or silicosis (stand to correction on this) and it documents every
mine thta you work on and in what capacity. Whether or not these are kept
for any length of time I am not sure but it would be worth a check with the
Chamber of Mines.

Come on Graham and Heidi take the bait and let us all know if this is
correct! :-)
Regards
Mike

>1.By way of interest - there is a special area of Braamfontein Cemetery that
>is devoted to SAP.
>2. Any person employed on the mines would have a service record at the mine
>itself. Given there are any number of mines that do not exist any longer, or
>have amalgamated, ie. Cason went into ERPM along with others, you could try
>the MPF Management in Johannesburg. They have records from 1934 when the
>Witwatersrand Gold Mines Employees Provident Fund was started. They also
>have records of the two Mine pension funds, Mine Officials P F & also the
>Mine Employees P F..I Don't think they will part with information unless you
>can clearly indicate your genealogical interest.
>
Michael O'Connor
Orchid Grower and Genealogist
Researching the names O'Connor/Connor/Connors
Pietermaritzburg
South Africa

This thread: