The Social and Community Affairs Committee of Parliament has expressed disappointment that out of 33,000 ex-miners who are claiming benefits from South Africa, only 500 have been identified.

Officials from the Ministry of Labour told the committee that the South African government has so far listed 500 people who were under Providence Fund, a fund through which employees and their employers were contributing on voluntary basis.

However, out of the 500 listed beneficiaries, only 81 have managed to provide proper supporting documents that would necessitate payments of their benefits.

But Chairperson of the committee Savel Kafwafwa said the ministry should work with the South African government to identify the missing names.

It is has been 33 years since a group of Malawian workers returned from mining jobs in South Africa.