Snake Park mine dump approach comes with danger.

Mosimanegape Meno

This Mine dump started in 1886 Gold Mine Rush from Johannesburg called Durban Roodepoort Deep Mine(DRD) not even a single person in our community has worked for DRD when they offloaded this waste in Snake Park until they sold it to PAN African yet it still the same that is causing environmental destruction.

As activists, we can elaborate that the dump is located in the middle of Snake Park and Braamfischerville but the most affected place is Snake Park due to it being near the community, adjacent to the small-scale farmers. This happens because this Mine Dump does not have security, fence, or signposting. Most people’s houses are too close to this Mine Dump they do not have any choice but to stay in these conditions because they don’t have any place to go.

 Farmers who are planting vegetables on land that is an open field close to the tailing are paying for it. This does not make sense because the land that they are paying for is contaminated by dangerous metals from the tailing. They hardly grow healthy vegetables and their livestock is dying daily. But still, the mine owners require them to pay for a piece of land that they fail to rehabilitate.

Some people have also invaded some open space close to the tailing dump because it was neglected. When the mine owners saw that there were shacks on the land they sent red ants to evict them. This is all their fault because they have even failed to do a community participation meeting in Snake Park to show that they exist. All these years we thought the tailing had no owners. Pan African  Resource Mine must work hand in hand with the Phytoremediation project Bambanani Co-operative to stop the dangers we are facing, create job opportunities, and support Bambanani with rehabilitating tools.

PAN African needs to pay for the damage that they caused to the community.