Asbestos a silent killer

Asbestos is a silent killer
By Mahadio Maitsile
In my previous articles we as justice and peace activists in Kanana, North West province, we studied more problems in our area, and to this end nothing has changed. Our government provided our residents with RDP houses which is a good thing, but if one looks at the houses which were built in during the apartheid regime are not in good conditions especially at Down Section. Those houses are practically cracking down and they are roofed by asbestos. These houses are about 500 which are a slow poison to our poor residents. Those who managed to change their roofing are considered the luckiest because they are somehow surviving the problems that those who do not have the means experience.
The big problem to my analysis is that people lack information with regard to the danger posed by asbestos to their health. The roof is cracking and a white powder fall off the roof from inside houses and it blocks people’s noses and as a result people complain about suffering from sinuses. According to Mr. Makhomba who is a community member and an activist born in 1938 in Kanana said this roofing is danger to community at large because it can cause TB, he also said more people are suffering from sinus blocking and they don’t even know what causes it. He also committed himself to be working with us in taking the matter up with the Matlosana local municipality. We as the Justice and Peace monitors we are still in talks with the local municipality regarding the matter.