Oparational of the Mine

Ronald Mhlakaza

The mine was established in 2021 near an informal settlement called Sinqobile the mine has been opened next to a water purification plant which it is called (ferrobank ) mine that has been operating and now the mine is near the Community of Sinqobile and the mine it’s destroying community houses and the near stream was long been there, Community of Sinqobile was relying on that stream to use that water for laundry and other staff but since the mine came in they no longer able to use the water from the stream, also Animals where relying on the stream to drink water from it but now owners of the animals they are afraid to take their Animals to that space to drink that water.

This is happening in the Mpumalanga Province under Emalahleni Local Municipality on the fence line of Sinqobile informal settlement this community is suffering the impacts from mine blasting and Air pollution, noise pollution, and water contamination. All this happened under the watch of DMRE and the Municipality where the Community has nowhere to raise their concerns about the mine because DMRE and Municipality know about the mine but they seem not keen to assist the Community of Sinqobile.

The water purification plant and the stream where the mine is and the community, The livestock grazing land have been compromised by the mine together with the stream which they used for doing laundry in the absence of water, and the livestock for drinking purposes. The Community was not well engaged about the opening of the mine and the Community they are not benefiting from the mine, they only benefit negative impacts of the mine. The community of Sinqobile has decided to mobilise a strike to stop the operation of the mine.

A solution to this is a strike to stop the operation of the mine that’s how the DMRE and the Municipality will listen and come and listen to the issues with the mine.