‘If the coronavirus were to come to this area, it would finish us all’

Kamkhanqwa in Ekurhuleni is “not the kind of place where you can dress up and look smart” in. Residents of the informal settlement in Brakpan, say the pollution from nearby mines have left many people with chest problems.

Ward 74 is led by the ANC councillor Thulani Simelane. He said while the Kamkhanqwa residents had “raised complaints about sanitation, housing and electricity, they did not link these to mining activities”. “We also don’t have a clinic close by. I’m worried that if the coronavirus were to hit this area, it would finish [kill] us all,” she said.

Despite the residents’ concerns, both Sibanye-Stillwater and Ergo said they had not received any formal complaints from them. “The informal settlement has access to a project which DRDGold’s Broad-based Livelihoods Programme has established in Reedville. It helps thousands of vulnerable people living within the operating footprints to use land, through using their household yards, to grow healthy food, to generate income and to undertake productive self-employment activities,” Duncan said.

Despite this, the Mining Affected Communities United in Action , Women Affected by Mining United in Action and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies were among the stakeholders who wrote to Mining and Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashe and President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling on them to protect mining-affected communities.

“Before a mine can be given a licence, it needs to lay out social and labour plans on how it’s going to help surrounding communities. The mines have been here for many years, but there’s no change. “We have continued to provide assistance as a consequence of contact with the leadership of the settlement directly and with Macua,” Ergo’s Duncan said. Sibanye-Stillwater said they had not had any engagements with Macua since acquiring the former Lonmin facility last year.

South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Coronavirus: Correctional Services: Prison riots about cellphones and cigarettes not coronavirus, authorities claimWith three confirmed prison riots at correctional facilities across the country, the Department of Correctional Services claimed on Thursday morning, 23 April, that prisoners were using the coronavirus as an excuse to protest while they were really unhappy about warders taking away their cellphones and cigarettes.
Source: dailymaverick - 🏆 3. / 84 Read more »

South Korea bucks the trend of plummeting global car salesWorldwide coronavirus lockdowns in March leave the motor industry, including SA’s, bruised and bloodied
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »

FEEL GOOD | Meet the woman who made cloth mask worn by Gauteng Premier at recent Covid-19 briefingFEEL GOOD: Meet Sarah Notsi, the woman who made cloth mask worn by Gauteng Premier at recent Covid-19 briefing | W24_SA
Source: News24 - 🏆 4. / 80 Read more »

Oil continues gains amid global output cutsProducers are scrambling to curb production as the coronavirus pandemic hits economies
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »

Sunlight destroys coronavirus quickly, say US scientistsStop lying nah, the body temp is 37deg Celcius to which the virus strives very well. Outside temps rarely hit 35 is some places Die hele kaap gaan nou wee ini son gan sit 🤣
Source: ewnupdates - 🏆 30. / 53 Read more »

US House passes $500 billion coronavirus bill in latest relief package
Source: ewnupdates - 🏆 30. / 53 Read more »