OUT TO GET OUR LIVESTOCK

Khanyisile Matsaba

Out to get our livestock.

 

On the morning 25th April 2024 , myself and Tshepo Tsie who is one of the free state monitors

went to the kraal about few meters away from the Voelpan dam. The dam started when the mine began to discharge water into the pan which became worse as the years went on, the dam started to flood the community. This water contains Uranium, Radon, Arsenic and copper. Although the community has pipes for clean water, cattle’s goes to pan anyway, said Ntate Moloi, one of the herdsmen.

 

This is affecting the farmers as they lose money when they have to do regular medical check

ups and get medication. They also lose money when the cattle die or rather when people don’t

want to buy lean cattle, its leads to them to reduce the selling price.

 

The other disturbing part is that, at night, the farmers also sleep there by the kraal to guard their livestock from theft, and also to monitor the cattle from decease. According to the research I made, Arsenic poisoning is a rapidly fatal disease, affected animals have severe gastrointestinal irritation and they suffer severe abdominal pain when digesting.

 

With Uranium, when inhaled in a large amount it can cause lung cancer and ingestion can cause

kidney damage, radioactive properties can lead to causing bone cancer. With all this information it is evident as most of the cattle are lean. The solution would be that both the mine and the local council should help with building a wall around the dam or they should help with moving the kraal.