Door to door case study on the lives of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities in Snake Park

Rethabile Seikaneng

The case study was about finding out how many people living with cerebral palsy and other
disability in Snake Park are affected by mine tailing dust.
On the 11th of November 2024 from 10H00 until 1H00 at Block 1 we were receiving the
training and the training was all about the task that we were going to do as field works.
The field works started to go the field and work from block 1 to block 12(extension 4)
I also had the opportunity to conduct a study from block 7 and block 8 As a field we
explained to the community about our work where we come from and what is the study all
about we did have challenges because some community members said they were afraid
about signing paper because sometimes they put themselves in danger but the survey went
well.
Most of the people who we did the case study with lived for more than 20 years in Snake
Park and they have been exposed to mine tailing dust for 20 years and their health is at risk.
Some people of Snake Park want PAN African to remove/demolish the mine tailing because
it affects them badly and they fear for their lives also pregnant women are affected. if they
can’t remove it at least they must maintain it so that the dust doesn’t blow to the community.
Because the dust affects their skin, coughing and shortness of breath when is a dusty day
they can’t even go outside some are street vendors it affects their business also agriculture
people are affected by their crops and animals are dying because of mine tailing dust.
Because the soil from the tailing contains chemicals which is not good for people’s health.
Parents/caregivers of the children with c.p or other disability explained that cerebral palsy
and other disability are a challenge in the community of Snake Park because they don’t have
a clinic or center for disability people whenever they have to take their children to the clinic
for treatment like physio Therapist, speech therapy e.t.c it is not easily accessible because
the clinic is far they need transport and sometimes they don’t have money for transport.
We meet with a lady called Zanele living with a child having c.p Her daughter Lungile is 10
years old and she has mixed c.p Zanele explained that the tailing affects her because when
is dusty the child has a wheezing chest and also coughing she can’t even take her child
outside. At Block 8 we met Ms. Connie she also has a child she told us the tailing affects her
granddaughter because even doctors don’t know what is wrong with the child and when is
windy when she walks with her granddaughter she has to cover him like a small baby and
she is coughing.
Bongani Dladla