Illnesses are rife due to mining sludge

Thabo Ishmael Choledi

Since the disaster, our lives have changed physically, emotionally, and spiritually due to what we’ve gone through till today. We are still not healed, we are still living with wounds that we will never forget or forgive. I am a victim who has never been recognized since ever in my life until today.

Now as I am in the Benchmark Monitoring school I have realized how our lives have changed due to illnesses like Flu, Asthma, TB, Avryities, stroke, and HIV. The most dangerous and common one is the flu, which mostly targets under-age children and elderly people who are vulnerable to this flu. One can blame the mine because even statistics show clearly how the numbers have risen since the reopening of the mine, I am also one of those who caught up on TB around 2016 and now it’s my small children who are being admitted in a row at the hospital due to lack of oxygen.

To show that the people of Jagersfontein are being oppressed, and are being forced to live under the dust that is very toxic and dangerous to human life. Animals and the environment itself. Since the mine arrived, our town has been covered by DUST day and night. That means we are not inhaling clean and fresh air.

Also the issue of throwing sludge into the (PIT) it’s the biggest concern to me and my community because no one knows what could happen. If that (PIT) overflows it will ruin the whole town, and also our underground water can easily be contaminated by the mud and water that is being pumped down the (PIT)and also demolish our historical heritage and national site. This is a clear corruption that is taking place at Jagersfontein and that is putting the lives of the community in danger.

And also since these happenings our town has become very cold and we don’t understand our town anymore, so the issue of illnesses is very serious and no one wants to be responsible. They even hid information like the results of my child that I never received till today, instead, they told my wife that the laboratory is heckled. It’s just a way to run away from the real truth, so I suspect we need special doctors who must come and deal with this matter because the clinic and our hospital are hiding the truth from us and they also protect the mine.