Mine Tailing Dust affecting the community of Snake Park

Rethabile Seikaneng

The community of Snake Park is facing the issues of mine tailing dust that affect them every day. On the 25 of October, it was a dusty day around Snake Park that came from mine tailing and blows towards the houses, and community members were struggling to go outside.

The tailing particulate matter(PM) tailing dust contains pm2,5, and pm10 which can travel long distances, affecting air quality. Heavy metals dust from tailing contains toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic. Tailing dust can cause respiratory issues in humans and livestock.

I met a 20 years old lady complaining about having health problems and skin issues that are caused by the mine tailing, she explained that her skin is itching and burning due to skin contact with irritants in tailing dust also dry skin Dehydration, and dryness caused by exposure to tailing.

The community of Snake Park spends less time outdoors due to dust pollution, also the event organizers have to cancel or postpone the outdoor events due to tailing dust and they are losing. The community members also explained that their clinic is a TB unit because of mine tailing dus,t people have chronic diseases like asthma, COPD bronchitis lung infection also respiratory issues such as coughing and shortness of breath due to tailing dust.

The agriculture members of Snake Park also explained that the tailing affects their crops and livestock because some crops are dying, also livestock and some are getting blind because of mine tailing dust.

Mr Mvelo who is a community member, informed me that most community members don’t know how to handle this mine dust or to protect themselves. They need mine people to take part and assist the community on how to handle this mine dust and community members need to be educated about this mine tailing dust.