About The Meso Trust
The Meso Trust (MT) is taking over from an older trust called the Kgalagadi Relief Trust (KRT). It is specifically focused on helping people with mesothelioma, a serious cancer caused by asbestos.
Until the end of February 2026, the Meso Trust will continue to help all the people the old KRT was already helping.
Mesothelioma Focus: After February 2026, the Meso Trust will only provide new benefits to people who contracted mesothelioma from asbestos exposure in the Northern Cape Province. It doesn’t matter when or exactly where in the Northern Cape they were exposed.
Help for the Living: The trust will help living applicants with mesothelioma. Unlike the old trust, it does not process claims from the estates of people who have already passed away, unless they applied for a benefit before dying.
What Kind of Help Does the Trust Provide?
The Meso Trust is not a compensation fund. It provides voluntary benefits and support. According to its rules, it can help in the following ways:
Important: All help is given at the discretion of the Trustees. There is no automatic right to a payment.
Financial and Basic Needs Support
Providing money, goods, or other resources to ease the distress and poverty of mesothelioma patients and their families.
Community Education
Funding organisations that provide free education and advice to Northern Cape communities on how to reduce their risk of exposure to dangerous asbestos dust.
Care and Counselling
Offering free welfare support, humanitarian aid, counselling, and healthcare (including pain management and palliative care) to patients and their dependants.
Honouring Donor Wishes
If someone donates money for a specific purpose, the trust can use it for that purpose, even if it falls outside the usual rules (for example, helping with other asbestos-related diseases or helping people outside the Northern Cape).
Supporting Other Help Organisations
Donating to other registered non-profit organisations that provide the care and medical services mentioned above to eligible mesothelioma patients.
Objects of the Trust
4.1. The sole or principal object of the Trust is to carry out the following Public Benefit Activities:
4.1.1. The alleviation of distress and the provision of poverty relief, by way of donation of funds or assets or other resources, out of the capital and income of the Trust, to natural persons who have contracted mesothelioma, in consequence of their occupational or environmental exposure to asbestos while living or working in the Northern Cape Province, or the dependants or estates of such persons who die after having applied for a Benefit.
4.1.2. The provision of free welfare and humanitarian support, care and counselling, and of health care services, including palliative care, to the persons referenced in Clause 4.1.1 above, or to their dependants.
4.1.3. The provision of funds or assets or other resources by way of donation to any entity contemplated in Item 10(d) of the Ninth Schedule of the Income Tax Act that provides free welfare and humanitarian support and/or medical services including palliative care to the persons referenced in paragraph 4.1.1 above, but only for the purpose of carrying out such Public Benefit Activities to the persons referenced in paragraph 4.1.1 above.
4.1.4. The provision of funds or assets or other resources by way of donation, out of the capital and income of the Trust, to any entity contemplated in Item 10(d) of the Ninth Schedule of the Income Tax Act that provides free healthcare education, information, and advice to communities in the Northern Cape Province, regarding the means by which community members’ risk of exposure to harmful asbestos dust and fibre can be mitigated, but only for the purpose of carrying out such Public Benefit Activities.
4.1.5. To the extent that it is a term on which the Trust has received or accepted any donation, bequest, benefit, settlement or award, to apply such donation, bequest, benefit, settlement or award for the achievement of the objects as set out in clauses 4.1.1 to 4.1.4, but without the geographical limitation and without limiting the asbestos related disease to mesothelioma.
4.2. The provision of such Benefits to Beneficiaries will be done on an entirely voluntary basis and at the discretion of the Trustees, in accordance with the provisions of this Deed.
Kgalagadi Relief Trust (KRT)
- The old KRT worked with the Asbestos Relief Trust (ART) for its services.
- Under the Meso Trust, Dr JM te Water Naude will handle all medical, administrative, and coordination services and Jonathan Crowther CA(SA) will be the trust’s new accountant and auditor.
- The Meso Trust will still work closely with the ART and has asked them to refer any of their applicants who might now qualify for help from the Meso Trust.
- We will continue to support the palliative care nursing service in Kuruman.