Community capacity building meeting

Rethabile Seikaneng

On 16 November 2024, Bambanani corporative had a meeting with the community members
of the snake park at Mme Dimpho ECD.
The purpose of the meeting was to teach the community members about the mine tailing
dust that affects their health risk. Ms Mtambo our facilitator and Mr Sithole our chairperson
explained to the community how Bambanani started and how it works.
Ms. Mtambo educated the community about the mine tailing dust and how it affects them
because it contains chemicals such as arsenic, radioactive materials e.g. uranium also
respiratory health risks such as lung cancer, asthma, and bronchitis.

Community members were happy because the Bambanani group did wonderful work for the
community and also opened their eyes they taught them things that they did not know they
had been falling sick some of them knew that mine tailing dust affects their health some
don’t know. Community members explained that the mine tailing dust also affects their
animals and crops because some of them have backyard gardens and the soil from the
tailing destroys their crops they are dying.

We also met Ms Nthabiseng who is the owner of the Creach she was happy that they were
less informed they did not know that tailing affected their health so badly she explained that
at her ECD they were having cases of rush and parents were coming each day to complain
about their children being sick and want to know what their child eats at the ECD because
parents were suspecting food poisoning not knowing that the dust that blows from the tailing
affect their skin she even bought medication for allergies.

On that day we also had Mrs. Connie who has c.p granddaughter she explained that the
dust affected them so badly because her granddaughter according to the doctors they don’t
know the cause of her child c.p she suspects that the mother was affected when she was
pregnant she want the mine owners to remove the tailling because is killing people of snake
park it is difficult to raise the child with c.p when the is dust she can’t do anything or go
outside with the child because she can’t breath.

Mr. Makhobo a ward commit from the councilor’s office was also happy about the work that
Bambanani does she encouraged the group to continue doing great work for the community.
Members we shocked to see that the is a contract that is working at the tailing and the
community doesn’t know anything they want to know what is happening because their lives
are at risk.
They are pleading that mine owners must remove the tailing it is killing the community of
Snake Park.