South Africa's gold mining past poisons Soweto community, residents say
Contaminated water leached from a mine dump sits in an open-air basin shaped by mine tailings in front of a residential homes in Snake Park, Soweto
Image: EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP
Soweto's children call it the "yellow mountain": for decades, a gold mine dump that towers over the Snake Park neighbourhood of South Africa's largest township has been polluting the area and poisoning communities.
The yellow dust that blows off it stings the throat. Studies have found it contains traces of toxic substances such as arsenic, lead and uranium -- a legacy of the 1880s gold rush that founded Johannesburg and Soweto.
The local Snake Park Cerebral Palsy Forum has since 2017 documented at least 15 cases of children born with the condition. Many more have deformations and disabilities, it says.
Okuhle, 13, has cerebral palsy and was abandoned in the street as a baby. Sitting in a wheelchair next to her foster mother on a recent afternoon, the cheerful girl communicated with squeals.
'She can't walk, she can't speak... she can't use her arms well,' said Lilly Stebbe, 60, who also blames the mine for the child's asthma, eye and sinus problems.
Toxic pollution
Stebbe herself struggled with a constant cough and irritated eyes. The dust went everywhere, she said.
"When you breathe that dust, it can give you all kinds of cancer," said David van Wyk, lead researcher at the Bench Mark Foundation, a watchdog of local business practices.
"It can also mix your DNA codes and your children will be born with all kinds of deformities," he said. "We find lots of ... physically challenged children in this community."
There are more than 6,000 abandoned mines across South Africa, according to the auditor-general. At least 2,322 are considered high-risk for the adjacent communities.
Van Wyk said between 15 and 20 million South Africans live near such toxic pollution. About 50,000 are in the small houses of Snake Park and more in shacks at the foot of the mine in an informal settlement called Mountain View.
Every month, van Wyk carries out tests on the dump, a vast expanse of powdery soil with a reddish stream through it, as part of a joint study with the University of Johannesburg.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ad loading
Ten years
The two-year study aims to measure and identify solids dissolved in the water. On one day, the testing device detected a concentration of 776 mgs of solids per litre. This made the water unfit for drinking, said van Wyk.
More importantly, the water "contains uranium and strontium, which are both radioactive," he said. The NGO has detected "a whole range of very toxic substances" from copper to arsenic and lead in the stream, he said.
It flows into nearby maize fields and surrounding pastures. Residents say some goats were born three-legged.
Local company Pan African Resources said it bought the mine in 2022 after the previous owner was liquidated without rehabilitating the site.
The pollution had been seeping out of the tailings for at least 50 years, the company told AFP.
"Give us maximum 10 years, we'll remove it completely," said community relations manager Sonwabo Modimoeng.
"We know that this affects people," he told AFP, adding the company had told people not to approach the area. It has also installed warning signs.
But these measures were insufficient for Thokozile Mntambo, who leads Bambanani, an NGO advocating for the rehabilitation of the area.
"The dump needs to be taken off right now, not after 10 years," she said. "Every day, the dust contaminates people."
Community support
Baile Bantseke, 59, lives a few hundred metres from the dump with her grandson Mphoentle. The five-year-old has been diagnosed with autism, which Bantseke blames on the "mountain".
Multiple studies, including one published in 2024 in the journal Environmental Health, have established links between autism and exposure to environmental pollutants like heavy metals.
"I blame our government. If they were looking after us, we would not be having such issues," Bantseke said.
Families with disabled children receive a monthly grant of 2,310 rands ($130), barely enough to afford food, clothes and diapers. It does not cover transport to a hospital 15 kilometres away where the children should get treatment.
"We don't have wheelchairs, we don't have pickup trucks," said Kefilwe Sebogodi, who founded the Snake Park Cerebral Palsy Forum and is raising a disabled niece.
In the run-down community hall, she welcomed a dozen mothers, grandmothers and caregivers joining the Forum's support group.
Their monthly meetings showed that "the children matter in this community", Sebogodi said. "We are still standing."
AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Cataracts explained: What they are and why you shouldn't ignore them
As we mark Cataract Awareness Month, it's a good time to bring our eye health back into focus because the truth is, cataracts are the world's leading cause of blindness. Image: Şeyhmus Kino/pexels You'd be forgiven for thinking cataracts are an 'old person's problem'. After all, we often associate them with grey hair and reading glasses. But more South Africans are being diagnosed with cataracts much earlier in life and it's affecting how they live, work and drive, especially at night. So, what's going on? And do you always need surgery to fix it? As we mark Cataract Awareness Month, it's a good time to bring our eye health back into focus because the truth is, cataracts are the world's leading cause of blindness, according to the World Health Organization, yet they're also one of the most treatable. What are cataracts, really? Simply put, cataracts happen when the lens of your eye becomes cloudy, almost like someone smeared Vaseline on your glasses. Wesley Language, an optometrist from Execuspecs, explains, 'It's like looking through a foggy window. Over time, it distorts your vision, dulls colours and makes tasks like reading or recognising faces difficult. While age is a major risk factor, cataracts don't always wait for your 60s. In fact, younger South Africans, some in their 30s and 40s, are experiencing early-onset cataracts due to factors like: Diabetes Smoking Excessive sun exposure Eye injuries Family history 'There's a misconception that eye problems only start later in life,' says Language. "But by the time you're struggling to see at night or feeling like your glasses never work quite right, the cataract may already be advanced.' While age is a major risk factor, cataracts don't always wait for your 60s. Image: Karolina Grabowska/pexels How cataracts disrupt daily life The early symptoms of cataracts can be subtle slightly blurry vision, sensitivity to light, or colours looking a bit faded. But as they progress, they can seriously impact your quality of life. You might: Struggle to drive at night due to glare from headlights Avoid reading because the text feels too fuzzy Feel disconnected in social settings because faces aren't clear Experience frustration at work, especially in front of screens. This kind of slow, creeping vision loss can be isolating, especially for younger people who aren't prepared for it. Do you always need surgery? The good news is that not every cataract needs surgery right away. If caught early, your optometrist may recommend regular monitoring, stronger prescription lenses and lifestyle changes to slow progression. But when cataracts begin to interfere with daily functioning, such as when you're constantly squinting at your computer or feeling unsafe driving at night, surgery is often the best option. And thankfully, it's one of the most common and successful surgeries in the world. The cloudy lens is simply replaced with a clear artificial one, often restoring vision almost immediately.'It's a life-changing procedure,' says Language. 'Patients often don't realise how much they've adapted to poor vision until they see clearly again.' Can you prevent cataracts? not every cataract needs surgery right away. If caught early, your optometrist may recommend regular monitoring, stronger prescription lenses and lifestyle changes to slow progression. Image: Antoni Shkraba Studio /pexels
IOL News
13 hours ago
- IOL News
South Africa's gold mining past poisons Soweto community, residents say
Contaminated water leached from a mine dump sits in an open-air basin shaped by mine tailings in front of a residential homes in Snake Park, Soweto Image: EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP Soweto's children call it the "yellow mountain": for decades, a gold mine dump that towers over the Snake Park neighbourhood of South Africa's largest township has been polluting the area and poisoning communities. The yellow dust that blows off it stings the throat. Studies have found it contains traces of toxic substances such as arsenic, lead and uranium -- a legacy of the 1880s gold rush that founded Johannesburg and Soweto. The local Snake Park Cerebral Palsy Forum has since 2017 documented at least 15 cases of children born with the condition. Many more have deformations and disabilities, it says. Okuhle, 13, has cerebral palsy and was abandoned in the street as a baby. Sitting in a wheelchair next to her foster mother on a recent afternoon, the cheerful girl communicated with squeals. 'She can't walk, she can't speak... she can't use her arms well,' said Lilly Stebbe, 60, who also blames the mine for the child's asthma, eye and sinus problems. Toxic pollution Stebbe herself struggled with a constant cough and irritated eyes. The dust went everywhere, she said. "When you breathe that dust, it can give you all kinds of cancer," said David van Wyk, lead researcher at the Bench Mark Foundation, a watchdog of local business practices. "It can also mix your DNA codes and your children will be born with all kinds of deformities," he said. "We find lots of ... physically challenged children in this community." There are more than 6,000 abandoned mines across South Africa, according to the auditor-general. At least 2,322 are considered high-risk for the adjacent communities. Van Wyk said between 15 and 20 million South Africans live near such toxic pollution. About 50,000 are in the small houses of Snake Park and more in shacks at the foot of the mine in an informal settlement called Mountain View. Every month, van Wyk carries out tests on the dump, a vast expanse of powdery soil with a reddish stream through it, as part of a joint study with the University of Johannesburg. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Ten years The two-year study aims to measure and identify solids dissolved in the water. On one day, the testing device detected a concentration of 776 mgs of solids per litre. This made the water unfit for drinking, said van Wyk. More importantly, the water "contains uranium and strontium, which are both radioactive," he said. The NGO has detected "a whole range of very toxic substances" from copper to arsenic and lead in the stream, he said. It flows into nearby maize fields and surrounding pastures. Residents say some goats were born three-legged. Local company Pan African Resources said it bought the mine in 2022 after the previous owner was liquidated without rehabilitating the site. The pollution had been seeping out of the tailings for at least 50 years, the company told AFP. "Give us maximum 10 years, we'll remove it completely," said community relations manager Sonwabo Modimoeng. "We know that this affects people," he told AFP, adding the company had told people not to approach the area. It has also installed warning signs. But these measures were insufficient for Thokozile Mntambo, who leads Bambanani, an NGO advocating for the rehabilitation of the area. "The dump needs to be taken off right now, not after 10 years," she said. "Every day, the dust contaminates people." Community support Baile Bantseke, 59, lives a few hundred metres from the dump with her grandson Mphoentle. The five-year-old has been diagnosed with autism, which Bantseke blames on the "mountain". Multiple studies, including one published in 2024 in the journal Environmental Health, have established links between autism and exposure to environmental pollutants like heavy metals. "I blame our government. If they were looking after us, we would not be having such issues," Bantseke said. Families with disabled children receive a monthly grant of 2,310 rands ($130), barely enough to afford food, clothes and diapers. It does not cover transport to a hospital 15 kilometres away where the children should get treatment. "We don't have wheelchairs, we don't have pickup trucks," said Kefilwe Sebogodi, who founded the Snake Park Cerebral Palsy Forum and is raising a disabled niece. In the run-down community hall, she welcomed a dozen mothers, grandmothers and caregivers joining the Forum's support group. Their monthly meetings showed that "the children matter in this community", Sebogodi said. "We are still standing." AFP
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe hospitalised with stomach bug
Mbappe hospitalised Real Madrid have announced that Kylian Mbappe is being treated in hospital in the United States after suffering a stomach bug. Photo: Ander Gillenea/AFP Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe is being treated in hospital in the United States after suffering a stomach bug, the Spanish giants said on Thursday. "Our player Kylian Mbappe is suffering from an acute case of gastroenteritis and has been admitted to hospital in order to undergo a series of tests and follow the appropriate course of treatment," said Los Blancos in a statement. French striker Mbappe missed Real Madrid's Club World Cup opener against Al-Hilal on Wednesday, a 1-1 draw in Xabi Alonso's first game at the helm. Alonso said on Tuesday the 26-year-old forward had been "feeling a little better" after illness in the run up to the match in Miami.
