Mining brings pain and despair to the Ogies community

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For the community of Phola near Ogies in Mpumalanga, the Siriti Mine was a beacon of hope that would bring with it employment opportunities and prosperity.

But their hope has been replaced by pain, anguish and ill health.

The residents this week told the Sunday Independent that the mine had brought nothing but cracks to their houses, respiratory issues, sinuses, other illnesses, and sinking graves, but no opportunities for the locals.

The inhabitants allege that the mine's blasting process causes the cracks in their homes. They accuse the mine of not checking the wind direction whenever they are blasting because the dust infiltrates their houses, leaving black residue all over.

The community further claim that their complaints have fallen on deaf ears despite having complained numerous times.

"We are very frustrated as a community. We need assistance in pushing these mining houses to comply (with regulations). We tried to get the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) involved, but they are dragging their feet. When these mining companies came here, they promised a lot of job and business opportunities, but none of that happened," said community member Jan Bulunga.

The angry townsmen said that the mine needs to consider their health, safety and well-being. Some members said it would be nice if the mine shared its blasting schedule with them to help prepare for the impact.

Sibusiso Shongwe, who lives with his wife, four children and elderly mother, said the mine had turned their lives upside down. He said he complained on numerous occasions about the impact of the blasts on their houses, but nothing has been done to date.

"I have reported the damages to the mine many times, and I'm just tired. All they do is come here and take pictures, call us to meetings and tell us to write our names down, and that is about it. I had to fix some of the damage because I'm concerned about my children's safety. What if, one day, the house falls with them inside while they are blasting?" said the father while pointing at a huge crack in his children's bedroom.

Another resident, Duduzile Mphakane, said: "We are always scared. Whenever they start blasting, our houses shake, and ceilings fall off. We don't know what might happen as the blasting can last for more than 12 hours. I received this RDP house in 2017, but the damage makes it look like I have been living in it for decades."

Mphakane said that the damage she suffered is not only to her home but her father's gravestone too.

"We erected a tombstone that is worth over R30 000 for my late father in 2013, but it has since sunk. It breaks my mother's heart, and it's painful for us to watch her go through this," she added.

Sindi Mahlangu said her children suffer from respiratory issues because they have inhaled dust from the mine. The woman compared the dust from the mine to a thick winter blanket and the blasting to an earthquake.

"Days don't go by without my children complaining about a tight chest. They present flu-like symptoms. I was told at the hospital that my environment is not conducive for my children and me. They (hospital staff) suggested that I move to a different location. How do I move when I'm unemployed? When this mine started operating, they promised us jobs, but we are still unemployed," said the distraught mother of two.

In the community's effort to get the attention of the mining leaders, on several occasions, they wrote emails and letters and protested, but their attempts did not shake the mine leaders off their chairs.

They have even written to the Presidency, hoping their pleas would be heard, but that too has not yielded the desired outcome. An email dated May 17, 2021, sent to the Presidency, stated that on April 19 2021, at 9.30am they had a meeting with officials of South 32, Vusi Zwane and ''Jumbo.''

"We complained about the smoke and the bad smell from the mine. There was no change. We are worried about our lives, and children's lives are in danger. We feel that the mining we are coded here is the ones who violate our rights on section 24 of the South African constitution," the email read.

The residents said no response was received from the government and the mine following the email. This week, the mine said it was aware of the concerns raised by the residents. The mining company said they launched an investigation into all the blasting work done in December last year and has briefed the community on the findings.

The mine, however, refused to shoulder the blame for the damages to houses.

"Seriti has conducted further checks on all recent blasting operations at Klipspruit and remains certain that the damage the community is referring to has not been caused by operations at Klipspruit. Other coal mining companies are operating in the vicinity of Phola, and Seriti Klipspruit has engaged with the community on the possibility that the blasts they are concerned about may not, in fact, have been from our operations," said Thabo Masike, Seriti Chief Corporate and Community Relations Officer.

Masike further added that the company monitors dust at all its collieries to assess its impact and have multiple preventive measures to limit dust emissions on and around the sites.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy failed to respond to questions regarding the residents' plight.

Environmental lawyer Janice Tooley from All Rise said communities such as this needed to know their environmental rights and challenge companies infringing on them.

"It is vital that people are empowered so that they can start exercising their rights. Section 24 of the Constitution gives every person the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being. Section 24 of the Constitution is the main right being infringed if the mine is polluting or degrading the environment and negatively impacting on people's health, livelihoods and cultural heritage," she said.

Sunday Independent