by Moshabi Selowa
The communities around mine are facing serious problem regarding environmental impact such as:
Noise, Dust, Air Pollution. We refer to Monametse, Maruping up to Manotwane, those are mostly affected areas by the mine called Bokoni platinum mine which turned to be African Rainbow Minerals (ARM).
Bokoni platinum mine has been the Host from 1960’s till 2017 operation happens in decades, while community suffered for survival.
Communities currently increased impact by high rate of unemployment from same company being ARM Bokoni platinum mines and communities still facing same challenge, however the company is still new.
Describing problems that affect communities;
NOISE –this is very dangerous to society because loss of hearing as health risk, which to my believe were supposed to be eliminated or totally not advocated.
Dust- dust blowing randomly towards communities such as above mentioned, dust is particularly from slam dams/ tailing dams and road which constructed by mine in 2005 during development of Braakfontein shaft.
Air pollution- Our environment polluted since opening of UM2shaft in 1999, which was still development of mine shafts. Plants around Monametse lost chlorophyll as a results of mining without dust and big funs during operation.
Unemployment rate – Most of the youth are now parents, are apparently got lots of criminal records due to unemployment rate which up sized unrest to community.
Most dropped out of schools targeted mine work opportunity, which most of residents have lost their time of learning, and women around mining affected communities were never given an opportunity of doing any skill development in terms of skill transfer.
Community members lost their rivers, grazing land for their cattle’s and other domestic animals which changed a lot to our animals and owners as well.
This made life difficult to community members in large since early 60’s even today everyone is struggling to get opportunity of survival.
