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A brief history of COID cover

COID or 'Workman's Compensation' provides coverage of workers injured or contracting ailments during their jobs. The Fund is regulated by the 1993 Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) (amended in 1997), which specifies how (and by whom) the fund is managed and the eligibility requirements for compensation.

The year 1914 saw the passing of the first Workmen's Compensation Act (WCA). Before passing the act, workers injured at work had to institute a claim against the company for negligence. However, the challenge of arguing wrongdoing for workers and high legal costs left the effect legal systems could have as limited. Compensation can only be paid if the employer accepts personal blame.

In 1941, a new Labour Party coalition government was formed. Many industries' political interests preferred labour compromises to benefit the war effort. As a result, the 1941 WCA was passed to report all injuries to a WC Commissioner. No more private compensation arrangements for employers and employees were allowed. Compensation would be paid by a state fund to which all employers would pay depending on their wage budgets.

Nowadays, the Compensation Fund is administered by the Compensation Commissioner or licencees such as Rand Mutual Assurance (RMA) and Federated Employers Mutual (FEM) under section 30 of the COID Act who approve the claims and payment of benefits.

When an employer registers with RMA, they form part of our database as a compliant business in accordance with the requirements of the law. This goes a long way to ensure that every employee who is injured or on duty under the Act has the peace of mind that their medical bills are taken care of and that their families are not left worse off in the case of injury or death claims.

How Employee Insurance Benefits protect you?

COIDA covers registered employers from civil claims in good faith and allows all part-time and full-time workers to claim compensation for work-related accidents and illnesses either from the Fund or the licencees.

The types of injuries are detailed in the policy scheduled provided to an employer and should be communicated to employees.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a case study of COIDA coming into play to help companies and their employees. Since most companies already hold COID cover, occupationally acquired COVID-19 is covered.

If COVID-19 is acquired at a place of work the following benefits would be covered:

• Temporary Total Disablement (TTD): Payment for temporary total disablement shall be made for confirmed COVID-19, from date of diagnosis, for as long as such disablement continues For suspected and unconfirmed cases, the employer will be liable for payment of TTD’s during the self-quarantine period 
• Permanent Disablement: Each case will be assessed on its merit, considering the complications that developed as a result of COVID 19 diagnosis o Medical Aid In all accepted cases of COVID-19, medical aid shall be provided from the date of diagnosis. As long it is reasonable, and it will reduce disablement. 
• Death Benefits: Reasonable burial expenses, widow’s and dependent’s pensions shall be payable, where applicable, that means if the cause of death has direct link to the reported COVID-19 claim. 
• Quarantine Site Cost: Reasonable quarantine site accommodation costs will be payable for all confirmed cases where liability has been accepted and the claimant is in a quarantine site other than their normal home of residence, for the duration of the quarantine period.

COID under everyday working conditions

Think of COID as a safety net in an effective and comprehensive Environment, Safety, and Health (ES&H) strategy. In South Africa, this often involves occupational health and safety for indoor, office-based jobs.

The primary goal of health and safety management should be two pronged:

1. To prevent infection or exposure of workers to adverse effects of agents (physical, environmental, biochemical, ergonomic, psycho-social, and mechanical) in the workplace. 
2. To protect employees from possible contamination from biological contagions.

Steps should be taken to incorporate risk prevention and management programmes aimed at minimising or preventing illness and disability. This leads to changes in the conditions of the workplace which require employers to train and facilitate safe behaviour in everyday work.

A good example of this is consistent fire drills. Employees should know how to exit a building, who the fire marshals for the building are, and where they need to coordinate themselves once outside (or distant enough from the hazard).

Claims can be rejected if it proved that the employer has been negligent in maintaining other regulations and laws. So, in the example of a fire drill, if the building's steps are defective or obstructed and someone is injured or dies as a result, the employer may be liable, and not the COID Fund.

The objectives of occupational health and safety policies must be:

• The promotion and preservation of the highest level of physical, emotional, and social well-being of employees in all occupations. 
• Avoidance, among workers, of departures from work due to unsafe working conditions. 
• The safety of workers in their jobs against risks arising from conditions adverse to health. 
• The location and care of the worker in an area adapted to his physiological and psychological abilities. 
• Adapting labour to man and man to his labour.

The purpose of health and safety in the workplace is to promote positive wellbeing of all stakeholders as well as preventing injury and illness. In the professional and regulated environment, health and safety is the responsibility of employers.

Many health and safety related legislations and regulations contain requirements for the design and operational aspects of a workplace environment or installation to promote physical safety for workers.

There are numerous factors that impact on employees’ ability to work safely; issues related to light quality, glare, ergonomics, disregard for safety concerns and maintenance requirements. A sustainable and well-thought out ES&H framework is one of the most important aspects of business and is essential for the long-term success of an organised labour force.

RMA has officially moved from 22 and 23 Wellington Road to a new office building located at no 10 St Andrews Road, Parktown Johannesburg. RMA’s head office operations previously were spread between two buildings.  
Our move to a new home is about continuous collaboration and cohesive environment to execute our brand promise of caring, compassionate compensation at every level of the organisation. 
We believe that the new office space will offer us an opportunity to work closely together in pursuit of reaching our strategic goals.  We are confident that this move will positively affect our employees and improve service delivery to our stakeholders, enabling us to:

• • Foster creativity and collaboration across RMA departments
• • Save on costs by joining two RMA offices into one
• • Increase client centricity and service
• • Create a sense of one RMA

This is a great milestone in our growth journey which we wouldn’t have achieved without your valuable support and that of our employees.

Important to note: Offices remain closed for walk-ins

Due to COVID-19, our offices remain closed for the duration of the national lockdown period as our employees continue to work remotely. We assure you that even with the new office move, our business operations are fully operational, and we continue to process claims and payment of medical invoices.

Stay connected, use our Online services 24/7

Use our online services to easily manage your COID policy to report accidents or log occupational injuries and diseases claims, upload medical reports and supporting documents and follow the status of a claim.

We look forward to continued engagements with all our stakeholders while we deliver on our promise of Caring, Compassionate Compensation from our new home.

We are delighted to announce that Mandla Shezi has assumed office as RMA’s new Chief Executive Officer on 1 July 2020, taking over from former CEO Jay Singh, who has retired at the end of June. 

In his new position as CEO, Mandla will continue to provide strategic and managerial leadership jointly with the RMA Executive Team to execute the company’s strategy and to take RMA to the next level of growth and development. 

As a business, we would like to assure you that a comprehensive handover process was followed and our operations have remained fully operational and unhindered during the CEO hand over transition period and that under Mandla’s leadership we will continue to provide our staff, clients and service providers with the highest level of exceptional service and continue to drive the growth of our business. 

You can read more about Mandla’s appointment here. Thank you for your continued support in helping us achieve our business objectives. 

Regards 

RMA

• Covid-19 Notice - Compensation Fund
• Covid-19 Exposure and Medical Questionnaire

We hope that you and your loved ones have been keeping safe and well over the past weeks. The COVID 19 pandemic is evolving and further affecting the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people and families locally and globally. In response to the impact of the pandemic, RMA has adapted its systems, processes and operations to ensure uninterrupted service to you as our customer.

It is that time of the year again when we determine your rates and premiums for the following year (2021). To ensure that we provide you with the most precise rates and premiums for next year, we would like to request that you provide us with the following: 

• • Budgeted (estimated) earnings 
• • Staff projections for 2021 

The estimated earnings required are for all staff (permanent and temporary staff including management and working directors) within your organization. The deadline for submission is 30 June 2020.

Declaration of earnings.

Earnings provided will be used to determine your premium for the following year. It is therefore important that you provide us with the most accurate earnings and staff numbers. This will assist us in ensuring that we continue to deliver optimal customer service to you and your employees as they enjoy ongoing cover against occupational injuries and diseases and related insurance benefits.

How to submit earnings. 

Earnings declared must be for the period of 1 January– 31 December 2021. 

• • Visit www.randmututal.co.za, under the Online Service tab and click on Earnings Declaration Submission 
• • If you have not yet registered on our online portal, you can simply register at www.randmutual.co.za under the Online Services tab and enjoy the convenience.

What happens if Earnings are not submitted? 

In the unfortunate event that we do not receive your submission, we would apply an above inflation factor on the previously submitted Return on Earnings (ROE) to obtain your current estimated earnings, in line with the provisions of section (83)(6) of the Compensation for Occupational Diseases Act, 130 of 1993 as amended. This may also result in penalties being applied on your account. We therefore would like to encourage you to submit your estimated Return on Earnings for 2021 timeously. 

We would like to thank you in advance for your participation during these challenging times, in meeting the deadlines as we work together to ensure accurate and fair assessments. For any enquiries, you may contact us on 0860 222 132 or email clientcare@randmutual.co.za. 

In January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus disease in Hubei Province, China to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. WHO stated there is a high risk of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreading to other countries around the world.

WHO and public health authorities around the world are taking action to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. However, long term success cannot be taken for granted. All sections of our society – including businesses and employers – must play a role if we are to stop the spread of this disease.

How COVID-19 spreads

How to stay informed

We hope that you and your loved ones have been keeping safe and well over the past weeks. The COVID 19 pandemic has had a tremendous effect and will continue to affect the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people and families locally and globally. RMA has adapted its systems, processes and operations to ensure uninterrupted service to you as our customer. 

Understandably, the outbreak of the pandemic has led to business interruptions countrywide. As we are nearing the end of Alert Level 4 of the Lockdown and are preparing for Alert Level 3, as of 01 June 2020, some businesses will be opening their doors for full operations. Therefore, to accommodate you as your business returns to normal operations, we are extending our deadline for the submission of Return of Earnings (ROE), further, from 31 May 2020 to 30 June 2020. Extending the deadline ensures that your employees continue to enjoy cover against occupational injuries and diseases while on duty. 

We have included in this correspondence, our response to the notice issued by the Compensation Fund regarding guidelines to deal with COVID-19 arising from occupational exposure within the context of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Disease Act 130 of 1993. Please take time to familiarise yourself with the claim’s process outlined and benefits associated with all COVID-19 claims.

During this extension: 

• • We will be extending the expiry date of Letters of Good Standing from 31 March 2020 to 30 June 2020. LOGS will be issued manually (with no certificate number) and sent via email, upon your request. 
• • Penalties for late submission will not be applied until 01 July 2020 for companies that are in operation under lockdown levels 5, 4 and 3. 

The benefits of declaring within the stipulated timeframe are: 

1. Your current earnings will be considered, versus RMA applying an inflationary percentage to your 2019 estimated earnings. 
2. You will be issued with a further LOGS that will be valid for 30 days from declaration date to allow you time to either settle the premium or make payment arrangements to settle the premium.

For those companies that are still unable to operate under Alert levels 5, 4 and 3; special arrangements have been made to accommodate them in consideration of the current economic environment. For details on these arrangements, affected companies should contact RMA on the details provided below.

Simplified process for your online policy renewal 

Use our hassle-free online service to process your 2020 policy renewal. 

Submit your employees’ earnings (actuals for 2019 and estimates for 2020) before 30 June 2020: 

• • Visit www.randmututal.co.za, under the Online Service tab and click on Earnings Declaration Submission 
• • View your 2020 premium and 2019 adjustments; 
• • Download your invoice(s) and/or credit note, as well as your statement. 

Declaration of Earnings

To ensure that you remain in good standing, the deadline for submission of earnings is 30 June 2020. 

You need to declare your 2019 actual earnings for the period of 1 March 2019 – 29 February 2020, and the 2020 estimated earnings for the period of 1 March 2020 – 28 February 2021. 

Also note that if there is a variance between the current and previous submissions, your account may be audited, and you will be required to provide documents to support the variance. We will contact you if this happens. Your earnings will have to be reviewed and approved and this may delay your invoice(s) and Letter of Good Standing (LOG) for 2020.

Premium Payment 

The benefits for paying your premium on time is that you will receive your annual LOGS timeously. 

All payments for outstanding premium balances are due 30 days from the invoice date. 

Payment arrangements can be made to pay off the premium on a monthly basis and LOGS will be issued on a month to month basis, based on your next payment date. 

In an effort to assist in these tough economic times, RMA have taken the decision to not enforce section 86.2 of the COID Act, meaning that no interest will be applied to outstanding premiums until further notice 

For any payment related enquiries, you may contact us on 0860 222 132 or email collections1@randmutual.co.za

What happens if you miss the 30 June 2020 deadline? 

You will be issued with an Invoice that: 

• • is based on your last submission plus a 4.5% adjustment for inflation 
• • has a 10% penalty applied to your assessment rate due to non-compliance with the provisions of the COID Act.

You can still submit your earnings after the 30 June 2020 using the online portal and receive an adjustment invoice based on your budgeted earnings for the 2020 policy year. 

For any enquiries, you may contact us on 0860 222 132 or email clientcare@randmutual.co.za. 

We look forward to providing you with efficient and personal service, and we hope you will continue to enjoy a long and satisfying relationship with us.

I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Mandla Shezi as RMA’s new Chief Executive Officer. Mandla will take over from Jay Singh, who is retiring from RMA at the end of June 2020. Mandla will be CEO designate from the 1st of February 2020 and fully assume office as CEO on the 1st of July 2020. Both Jay and Mandla will work closely, hand in hand to ensure a smooth transition during this period. 

In line with our business policies, the recruitment process included appointing an interview panel comprising of members of the Nominations Committee, Remuneration Committee and Shareholder representatives, to ensure a thorough and successful interview process for a potential successor. After a rigorous search process, I am delighted that Mandla Shezi has agreed to join RMA.

Mandla Shezi joins us from Hollard where he held the position of CEO - Hollard International and was previously Managing Director of Hollard Affinities and Direct for 12 years. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

He is an engineer turned businessman. He studied chemical engineering and worked as a process engineer and an economist early on in his career. His passion for business management and decision-making inspired him to move from engineering to business management where he worked as a management consultant at Bain and Company from 2000 to 2002. He moved to SAB as an executive assistant to the CEO where he was responsible for strategic projects across the group and was also manufacturing manager for two of SAB’s plant operations.

In 2007, he joined Hollard as MD and led different divisions for the group. He has both long term and short-term insurance experience and has been MD of a division at Hollard that was focused on SA for 12 years and led a division that had Africa and Asia focus with country CEOs reporting to him.

In this position, Mandla will provide strategic and managerial leadership in partnership with the RMA Executive Team to help execute the company’s strategy. His wealth of experience in the Insurance and Financial Services arena will contribute to the growth strategy of our Non-COID business and his extensive knowledge of emerging markets into the rest of Africa will drive our new Africa Growth strategy. His vast experience in stakeholder management with multiple strategic partners will be beneficial to driving our growth strategy and in utilising our state-of-the-art IT software.

Mandla has excellent business experience and the drive to work with all of us to take RMA to the next level of growth and development. I am personally very pleased that we have been able to attract someone of his calibre, track record and further potential. He is a strong, dynamic and values-driven leader with an impressive track record of delivering consistent high-quality performance.

On behalf of the Board and the Shareholders, I look forward to working with him and the RMA Executive Team over the next few years to continue the exceptional growth of our business.

Regards
Thabo Dloti 
RMA Board Chairperson
 

We are delighted to inform you that we will be moving to our new home in July 2020 which is based at building number 10, St Andrews Road, Parktown.

In 2018, our management focused on motivating and empowering our staff coupled with the development and modernisation of our systems to ensure that we have the capabilities to deliver on our existing and future strategies.

People are the core of what makes us successful, as part of our efforts to continue enhancing our capabilities to deliver on our strategy, we decided to acquire a building that will house all head office staff into one building. This decision is a move towards increasing collaboration, improving operations and staff relationships.

We believe that the new office space will offer us an opportunity to work closely together in pursuit of reaching our strategic goals. We are confident that this move will positively affect our staff and improve service delivery to our clients, enabling us to:

• Foster creativity and collaboration across RMA departments
• Save on costs by joining two RMA offices into one
• Increase client centricity and service
• Create a sense of one RMA

This is a great milestone in our growth journey which we wouldn’t have achieved without your valuable support.

We look forward to sharing the exciting upcoming developments that will ensure that we increase on delivering Caring, Compassionate Compensation to all our stakeholders.

It is a great pleasure to announce the successful implementation of the share acquisition transaction concluded in March 2018 between Rand Mutual Holdings and African Rainbow Capital (ARC) following on approval by the Prudential Authority

We are delighted that the Minister of Labour has extended our licence to administer COID to December 2022. This demonstrates confidence in our capabilities as SA’s leading COID administrator. We will continue to deliver quality and compassionate service of the highest standard to clients.

Read more here

The Board of RMA, a company ranked in the top 10 short-term insurance providers in South Africa, is pleased to announce the appointment of experienced financial services specialist, Thabo Dloti, as an independent non-executive director and as the chairman.

Having spent his career in a number of senior executive and board positions at Old Mutual and Liberty, 49-year- old Dloti has a proud and extensive track record in the financial services industry. Before joining the RMA Board, Dloti was CEO of the Liberty Group and Stanlib, and Group Chief Executive at Old Mutual Investment Group SA.

Over the coming months, Dloti will be stepping into the shoes of retiring chairman, Dr Vincent Maphai, who has led the Board of RMA for over 11 years

RMA is a 123-year- old company and is licenced by the Department of Labour to underwrite and administer workers’ compensation benefits for the mining, iron, metal and steel industries in South Africa. It is rated among the top 10 short-term insurers in South Africa, and last year was listed as the fastest growing mutual insurer in the world in 2015 according to The Global 500 Report compiled by the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF).

“RMA is at an interesting juncture in its growth path and we are therefore delighted to have Dloti joining us at helm of the RMA Board and look forward to the fresh skills, expertise and vision that he brings. I have no doubt that we can expect to continue to flourish under his guidance and direction,” says RMA CEO, Jay Singh.

“His passion for developing people through education, and sponsorship of various education upliftment and mentorship initiatives demonstrates his good fit with our company values and our ongoing commitment to Caring, Compassionate, Compensation,” concludes Singh.

Commenting on his appointment to the RMA Board, Dloti said he sees much promise in RMA and believes it can play an even bigger role within the worker’s compensation space, and in the insurance sector as a whole.

“RMA is a company that has already proven its commitment to being a leader in workmen’s compensation in South Africa, and I believe there is an opportunity for penetration into the continent and emerging markets, and to better position it within the insurance industry in SA,” says Dloti.

“This is an exciting time to be joining the RMA Board and I look forward to making an important contribution to the company and its future growth.”

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Monday, 4 December 2017, Children attending the Mankaba Crèche near Burgersfort in Limpopo can look forward to a more comfortable learning environment and a brighter future since a truck carrying a 12m x3m parkhome rolled up to deliver their new school recently.

“We are delighted that we are able to help make a difference in these children’s lives through this donation to a crèche, which is run by Mr Matala Landros Mankaba, who is an exceptionally proactive and community-minded man,” says Nomfundo Metula, General Manager: Sales and Marketing at Rand Mutual (RMA).

Mr Mankaba, who has been on a 100% disability pension from RMA since suffering a disabling mining accident in 1994, identified the need to start the first crèche in the Burgersfort informal settlement some years ago, as there was no such resource available for the local children. He and his wife, who teaches at the crèche, have been doing their best for the children with meagre resources, mostly off his disability pension.

“A few months ago, Mr Mankaba contacted us seeking assistance from our social fund, which was established to help uplift the socioeconomic circumstances of the more impoverished communities where our beneficiaries live. He requested assistance in the form of chairs and tables for the crèche, and we asked him to send some photos of the facility so that we could better understand their needs,” Metula relates.

The photos revealed that the crèche did not have sufficient shelter for the approximately 30 children it serves, and RMA was moved to intervene as part of its corporate social investment activities. The crèche provides school-readiness education and meals to children from the community.

“Education, particularly early childhood development, is very important to us as we believe that a solid learning foundation through interventions such as Mr Mankaba’s crèche have the potential to make a lasting difference to the future of the individual children through better school success. This ultimately also has an impact on the community. We therefore decided to donate the parkhome to provide shelter and a more conducive learning environment for the children,” Metula explains.

Mr Mankaba’s former employer, Bokoni Platinum, also made donations to the crèche, including the tables and chairs he had initially requested.

“When the children caught sight of their new bright crèche, they were so excited and their faces lit up with joy. We hope that this gesture will help to light up their futures by assisting the teachers to unlock each child’s potential.

“This is truly an instance of caring, compassionate compensation in action as Mr Mankaba is making a real contribution in his community and brought this opportunity for doing social good to our attention. Mr Mankaba is proof that a disability does not need to hold you back and he remains an inspiration to us all. Not only has he transcended living with a disability, but he has used the pension that he gets paid from us to for the greater good and for this he must be applauded,” she adds.

“We wish Mr Mankaba, the teachers and children of the crèche all the very best for the future. We commend Mr Mankaba for the leadership he has shown in developing this resource for the children and his resourcefulness in making the most of what was available to make a difference in their lives – he is a hero to these children and an example to us all,” Metula concluded.

At a very young age Ubuko Mpotulo had to have his legs amputated following health complications, but this bright little fellow has never let this hold him back.

“A few months ago, Ubuko came to RMA’s attention when his grade one teacher, Janey Stevens of College Street Primary School in East London, sent out a heartfelt plea for sponsorship of prosthetic legs for this young man,” says Nomfundo Mcilongo, General Manager: Sales & Marketing at RMA.

“His teacher informed us that Ubuko runs, jumps, hops, skips and swims with his classmates, refusing to let his physical limitations hold him back from living life to the fullest. He is an inspiration to us all.

“Ubuko has been using basic prosthetic limbs to enable him to be mobile. This high-spirited little boy made the best of his existing prosthesis, but most certainly fitting prosthetic limbs more appropriate to his activity level will enable him to participate in physical activities with his friends.

“Today, it gives us great pleasure to provide Ubuko with a pair of new prosthetic legs, specially built for him by RMA’s prosthetics partner, Marissa Nel & Associates. His new ‘legs’, fitted with Vari-Flex Junior feet, provide an exclusive combination of comfort and dynamics. They are specially made for children who require the additional energy response.

“The prosthetic feet ensure the highest levels of user confidence and security, promoting a natural gait with less fatigue and strain on the lower back. The Total Knee Junior from Össur is a smaller version of the adult model, which offers security, natural motion and walking ease. The Total Knee Junior is extremely versatile and natural for children who have a broad range of very high-level activities: walking, running, sitting, squatting, and kneeling activities,” Mcilongo adds.

The prosthetic legs were presented to Ubuko by none other than South African Paralympic medallist Ernst van Dyk during a special ceremony at the East London Health Resource Centre.

RMA provides medical treatment and compensation for workers injured in the mining and iron, metal and steel industries in accordance with the terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA).

The initiative to help Ubuko is in keeping RMA presents new high-tech ‘legs’ to sporty Ubuko with RMA’s ethos of compassionate care.

“We don’t want anything to stand in Ubuko’s way of being the best he can possibly be. We believe that his positive attitude and determination will take him far in life, and it is our privilege to be able to sponsor his prosthetics from RMA. As a company that is both caring and compassionate, RMA believes in giving hope to people. Anybody can be a winner, no matter what obstacles they have had to overcome – so is the triumph of the human spirit, that anything is possible,” says Mcilongo.

Mcilongo explains that prosthetic limbs require maintenance from time to time, and that certain parts will eventually wear out. “Particularly for a growing boy like Ubuko, the prosthetic legs will need to be adjusted so that they can ‘grow’ with him. As a team, we are committed to ensuring that Ubuko’s prosthetics needs are taken care of well into the future so that he and his family need not worry about incurring the costs associated with the upkeep of his ‘new, high-tech legs’.

“With the encouragement of his family, school, Marissa Nel & Associates, the Eastern Cape Department of Health, Ernst and all of us at RMA, we are in no doubt that Ubuko can accomplish whatever he sets his heart on.

“We hope he will be inspired by Ernst to pursue sport professionally, as he has certainly demonstrated a passion and talent for sport.

“No matter what path Ubuko chooses with his new ‘legs’, we are confident that he will go on to make a significant contribution to this country and will continue to be an inspiration to all who know him,” Mcilongo concluded.