Subsistence Livestock Farming in Nyakallong: A Community in Crisis

Khanyisile Matsaba / Nyakallong Community Organisation

Nyakallong, a small township in the Free State, was originally known as Phathakahle before residents, mostly displaced farm laborers, renamed it. They had migrated from nearby farms in search of a better life, hopeful for new opportunities. When Lorraine Gold Mine arrived, it promised prosperity, providing tar roads to the newly registered township under the Matjhabeng Local Municipality.

As Nyakallong’s population grew, Lorraine Gold Mine constructed hostels known as “skomplas” to house migrant workers arriving from neighboring provinces. However, prosperity came at a devastating price: increasing cases of tuberculosis (TB) and silicosis, caused by exposure to contaminated water and inhaling hazardous white dust from dried-out mining dams. The mine attempted to mitigate the crisis by building a TB hospital called Chesty, which was later demolished by Harmony Mine in early 2022.

With Harmony Mine taking over operations, Nyakallong entered a period of decline. The environmental risks grew more severe, impacting not only residents but also subsistence livestock farmers, especially those relying on cattle as their primary income. By 2021, rising water levels in the mining dam did not just affect homes near the R30 road, it devastated livestock owners, including retired mine workers, women, and men who depended on farming to sustain their families.

In 2024, members of the Nyakallo Community Organization, along with Ntate Makhotla and Mr. David van Wyk, began investigating conditions in the local kraal area. One of the key figures in their research was Mr. Naong, a farmer deeply affected by livestock deaths. His documentation helped reveal a disturbing pattern: before dying, cattle developed blisters on their buttocks and feet, vomited continuously, lost weight, and eventually foamed at the mouth a tragic indicator of severe poisoning.

This crisis has caused profound financial and emotional distress, as farmers watch their primary source of livelihood perish. Buyers now hesitate to purchase livestock from Nyakallong, and when they do, they insist on lower prices due to the extreme weight loss in the animals.

The Path to Solutions

The affected farmers have proposed urgent measures to prevent further damage and hold the mine accountable, including:

• Comprehensive water testing at drinking areas for livestock.
• Mining companies are taking responsibility by fencing off contaminated zones.
• Cattle testing to confirm the root cause of illness and potential contamination.

Fair compensation for affected farmers if the water source is found to be the direct cause of livestock deaths.