DMRE ignorence in responding memorandum

Sbongile Masina

Date:19 July 2024

Name:Sbongile Masina

Place: Empumelelweni area

Municipality: EMalahleni Municipality

Province:Mpumalanga

 

DMRE ignorance in responding memorandums

#PEOPLESPOWER

 

The community of Mpumalanga Highveld in different townships are the most affected communities in the world by the coal mines that surround them, and that is not taken seriously by the Department of Mineral Resource and Energy. The communities and NGOs of Mpumalanga Highveld gathered themselves to deliver a memorandum to DMRE, to complain about the mines that are affecting them and the water that is polluted by the mines and industries that are surrounding them. The reason why they delivered the memorandum to DMRE, is because they are the ones that are issuing mining licenses to these coal mines.

On the 20th of June of 2024, the communities of the Mpumalanga Highveld area gathered themselves together from different towns Emalahleni, Middleburg, Carolina, Hendrina, Secunda, and Phola. They had a march to Emalahleni  DMRE to deliver a memorandum complaining about the mining and industries that surround them and how they are affected by them. That and the impacts of the mines.

On 26 June 2024, CJC members in Mpumalanga gathered at the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) offices in Emalahleni, this gathering was to follow up on a memorandum delivered on 20 March 2024 during the #people’s power action. They met with the regional mineral resources manager Mr Aubry and their final response has been promising to be due on or before the 16th of July 2024.

During the sitting with the manager and his secretary, they were defending themselves by saying that some other things that we are complaining about is not their duty to solve them. It is not on the part of their department like the polluted water streams which are affected by the mines. Hence they are the ones who are issuing the mining certificates, and they must do inspections in the mines that they have issued certificates and to close down all the illegal mines in Mpumalanga.

In all these towns of Mpumalanga, 80% of the community is suffering from respiratory disease, heart disease, kidney failure, and eye problems. Children are the most affected, starting from the age of 2 months to adults. Women have to carry the burden of looking after the sick kids and husbands working at the mines who get sick due to the pollution.

When 2 of our students from ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SCHOOL, Dumisile Mgagula and Sbongile Masina visited primary schools and preschools to complaints about air pollution They collected data about sick students and most of them were complaining about respiratory illnesses and eye problems. It was clear that these problems are caused by the dirty air and the emissions that are released by the mines.

The DMRE final response was promised to be due before the 16th of July 2024 and the date has passed and still, there was no response. The solution to this matter is to gather together again as community Organizations to make a final decision as to how they must handle the matter going forward.

The action that was promised to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy by CJC was that if they don’t respond at this time, they will let communities act on it by gathering and march to their offices. They will be taken to court as they have been in court with the government before in 2019 August, with the deadly air case which was won by the people and organization called Vukani Environmental Movement. They will be taken to court as well for them to comply, because no one is above the law. Everyone has a right to live in a healthy environment which is in our constitution of South Africa in section 24