Tshidi Sebogodi
The climate change and the tailing mine dump cause heavy wind in our area. On the 21st of October 2024, on the streets and nearby areas like Dobsonville, it was so dusty like it was spring, as we all know the time for dust is August. According to our beliefs as African people, there was a voice note in the community groups that said there were boys who took a snake at the mountain and it was for ancestors. Those boys must take it back to the mountain so that the dust can be finished
According to my research, seeing dust like that is because there are no pipes for water at the tailings. And also those years in 2000 the white people used to play with their motorbikes on the tailings as it was their racing grounds every weekend. The dust affects health issues because many community members get asthma, eczema, itchy skin, eye problems, etc. We as community members are sick and tired of this tailing mine dump It is about time the mining company intervened and engaged with the community to rehabilitate the mining dump. The way dust was so heavy it also took the shacks away and also the bricks as community stays next to tailings dump sides.
I asked Ms Nosipho who stays at block 4 with her family about the impacts of the dust, she was crying at the time and she responded by saying this dust affected her a lot because she’s got asthma using inhalers the kids got eczema. Ms. Nosipho who is 35 years old with 1child also found dust inside the yard on the paving and inside the house, it was white while she was coming back from her piece job of washing and ironing.
She tried to clean it by sweeping using water, and wearing a mask and does so that she would not get sick due to dust. Her actions were so emotional as she saw the shacks fall asking herself where she was going to sleep and where she would get money as she was unemployed to buy building materials to rebuild the shack again. She was wondering if the dust won’t come again to destroy her shack.
I also asked Mr. Mboso about the dust and the tailing mine dump, he said the mining company must come and rehabilitate the tailings and also hire community members to work with them as they can’t cope with this situation. The councilor says in this situation we are the ones who did this by stealing the pipes of water from the irrigation system that was installed there by the tailings dump sides.
Below are the views of the community about the dust
“Yoh! siyafa yi TB I dust igcwele ezindlini
Good morning, Bahlali Nabaphathi.Kwenziweni ngalendunduma ye mine dump egcwalsa i dust e poisonous and toxic to us .” ( we are dying because the toxic dust is inside our houses )
“Sazifaka kulenkinga sifika lapha singenazo izimpompi safika lentaba inama irrigation taps today kufa thina n our coming generation tjoooooo siphila kabuhlungu ” ( the tailing use to have irrigation taps and now their stolen”
“I agree with you on that, there was an irrigation system,yamoshwa within and now we are suffering the consequences, let’s correct our mistakes kodwa other mine dumps have security to guard the irrigation system ours never had.”
Not easy it’s a process Mahali Mining company has to follow That mine is very hard to find as a result Ku Taker over abanye. Let’s treat it as an urgent matter because this is a slow poison by Mr Wandy.
Molweni nonke bahlali kune mine company ezoyisebenza but won’t be fixed today kune process bahlali. Soon to present the report and call them thank you.
