TUESDAY August 29, 2023: 'COAL COMA' by award winning, ZUMA Press photo-journalist Stefan Kleinowitz: Mpumalange province is well known for its highly fertile agricultural land, half of South Africa's crops are produced here. Now home to hundreds of coal mines, illegal waste dumps and twelve large coal fired power stations, where human lives have been shattered and clean air and water have turned into poison. The toxic air is a consequence of South Africa's heavy reliance on coal-fired power generation, which produces pollutants linked to deadly health issues. In 2022 a judge ordered the SA government to target emissions, uphold right to healthy environment. However Socioeconomic development plans, which have been promised by the SA government, are non-existent. Welcome to 'COAL COMA'
© zReportage.com Story of the Week #903: TUESDAY August 29, 2023: 'COAL COMA' by award winning, ZUMA Press photo-journalist Stefan Kleinowitz: Mpumalange province is well known for its highly fertile agricultural land, half of South Africa's crops are produced here. Now home to hundreds of coal mines, illegal waste dumps and twelve large coal fired power stations, where human lives have been shattered and clean air and water have turned into poison. The toxic air is a consequence of South Africa's heavy reliance on coal-fired power generation, which produces pollutants linked to deadly health issues. In 2022 a judge ordered the SA government to target emissions, uphold right to healthy environment. However Socioeconomic development plans, which have been promised by the SA government, are non-existent. Welcome to 'COAL COMA'
Two brothers, ten and seven years of age, play soccer next to the Duvha Powerstation, one of twelve coal fired power stations that are located in Witbank, Mpumalanga province. They live below large whirring electric power-cables without access to electricity or clean water. Unsafe areas penetrated with sink holes, acid mine water drainage, mine blastings and underground fires are neither marked or fenced.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
A resident hangs washing out to dry where houses used to be surrounded by a lush and pristine nature. Today coal companies and their mines move closer and closer. Since the mine started to operate the resident's lives have been shattered and clean air and water have turned into poison. For twelve years families have been waiting for compensation from the mine owners or a fair offer for their land.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
A worker oversees the Eyethu Coal mine, operated by Mooifontein. The mine is only meters away from the Duvha power station. There exist hundreds of large open coal mines and illegal coal mine dumps in the area. Heavy machines dig deep into the earth, which affects the ground water, while invisible toxic coal dust and acid mine water poisons the environment. Health and economic costs on local communities are immense. Residents in the province suffer premature deaths and many have irreversible respiratory diseases.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
PROMISE MABILO (44) is an activist and fights for a clean and safer environment in Witbank. She says 'climate change is a global problem. But in South Africa nothing changes. Everything is becoming worse, and our parents and children are becoming sick.' Her son Lifa suffers from asthma.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
The Eskom Kendal Powerstation emits gases and coal dust into the sky. In total Eskom operates twelve coal-fired power stations in the Mpumalanga province. According to Environmental Justice Atlas: Across South Africa, the coal mines of the state-owned electricity monopoly, Eskom, burns around 120 million tons of coal a year, emitting some 200 billion liters of fluid gas.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
LIFA MABILO (25) has been using an asthma spray ever since he is five years old. He is unemployed and lives in Witbank next to an open coal mine with his mother Promise (44), a well-known environmental activist, and his younger brother.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Small scale miner or Zama zama pushes a load of coal from an abandoned coal mine shaft, and prepare it for sale in the townships. 'Zama zamas' are regarded as small-scale or artisanal miners. There are no fewer than 400 abandoned coal mines in South Africa, according to government records.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Children play in the midst of a toxic coal mine slag dump. Many of the youngest suffer from severe respiratory diseases. Township communities suffer due to very high and illegal levels of air pollution and contaminated drinking water. People's homes are placed below high voltage power cables but are without any electricity and they have to buy filtered water or drink polluted water that is freely available.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Using a headlight inside the dark mine, MANDLA (17) carries a large sack filled with coal. One sack weights about 70 to 80lbs, and on an average day he will carry up to 50 sacks from the mine shaft to the surface.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
BUSISIWE (49) sits at her parent's home where she lives. Busisiwe can no longer breath without the help of an oxygen machine and her parents, who need to care for her needs everyday. The family says that it is very obvious that the coal industry is the cause of her disease. Her health problems started with asthma when she was only 9 years old.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Taking a short break during his 10hr work day KHUTHALA (21) rests on a wheelbarrow deep under the earth inside an old coal mine shaft. He works six days a week and does not worry too much about the dangers, nor the gases or dust he inhales. He smiles, showing his gold tooth caps, and says: 'We have no choice because we need the money to survive. I can support my parents and also start my own family with the money.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
VOSI (16) sits in the living room of his family's home in Witbank and holds an asthma spray. He has suffered from the lung disease since he is five years old, and needs to use the spray every day. Vosi's older sister and parents are also prescribed medication because of breathing complications.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
An illegal miner works deep under the ground in one of many abandoned coal mines in the Ermelo township. There are no fewer than 400 abandoned coal mines in South Africa, according to government records. In addition to the risk of injury and death, the toxic legacy of abandoned mines also threaten safety and health of locals.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Miners, aged between 16 and 35 years, toil in the mines to simply put food on the table while being in conflict with the law. Communities do not benefit from coal, but are fully dependent on it. People use coal to cook and to heat their homes because it is more affordable than the electricity sold by Eskom. For the Zama Zamas, 'illegal' mining in abandoned coal mines is the only way to make money. Young men work up to ten hours per day, deep under the earth, and earn around R500/day (USD 27).
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Members of the Khuthala Environmental Care Group meet at a friend's house to argue that the government has only given them empty promises and that they do not receive any support in their fight for a cleaner environment. The group rehabilitates abandoned mines and waste-dumps, holds workshops to educate miners on climate change, create vegetable gardening projects and support the unemployed with food parcels and jobs outside the coal mining industry. Instead of waiting for governmental support the township community is taking matters in their own hands.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Residents of he Kwazenzele Township burn tires and throw stones to block the main highway. Since they find out that their community of over 3000 people will be resettled to make room for a new large open coal mine they have lost all hope. Dangerous conflicts between supporters and opponents of the coal mine happen frequently.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Members of the Kwazenzele Township community talk to the police about their ongoing protest over demands for farming land and jobs, which the government has promised them. Since people were told that their community of over 3000 people will be relocated to make room for a new large open coal mine they have lost all hope. As a result they protest, burn tires to block the main motorway, and throw stones on cars that try to pass.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Officers from the South Africa Police Service shoot rubber bullets at women and young men protesting against a planned open coal mine. If the new coal mine becomes reality then over 3000 people will lose their homes and will be relocated. Dangerous conflicts are caused by the coal industry and corrupt politicians who make deals with mining companies.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
A scared boy hides from the police outside his house in the Kwazenzele Township as residents protest against a planned open coal mine. If the new coal mine becomes reality then over 3000 people will lose their homes and will be relocated. Dangerous conflicts are caused by the coal industry and corrupt politicians who make deals with mining companies. The situation becomes more tense and unpredictable from day to day.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Community members and activists meet with an environmental law firm, that offers pro bono legal services prior to a meeting with coal mine representatives. Activists opposing the coal mine must live in constant fear, because of death threats. Local zulu law and governmental law stand in conflict with each other. Zulu leaders are known to receive large financial 'profits' from the coal mines.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
SHAUN (13) wears a compact nebulizer mask and sits with his sister (5) at home. He does not enjoy a normal life. Shaun suffers from chronic bronchitis since he is three years old. The toxic air, acrid fumes, and coal dust make it very difficult for him to breathe. Years of heavy cigarette consumption would be the most common cause for such a lung disease.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Doctor KHAN (51), a senior specialist at the Witbank hospital, looks at an X-ray of a patient with a chronic heart and lung disease. He says that each year a higher number of patients come to the hospital with critical respiratory diseases. Khan is concerned that patients are unusually young, and he claims that the coal industry is causing these ailments. The hospital struggles to operate because of a lack of water and struggles to find qualified staff.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Nurse LEON MAHLANGU (38) says that every day countless patients come to the clinic with skin problems or complain that they find it hard to breath. She says that most diseases they treat at the clinic are related to air pollution.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Locals attempt to plant vegetables even though the crop is not suitable for human consumption due to toxicity. The communities soil is heavily polluted with coal dust, contaminated coal mine water and acid rain caused by the nearby coal power stations and mines.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
An abandoned cemetery in the periphery of an open coal mine and a coal-fired power station. On colder days the gas emissions ejected from coal-fired power stations, create a large and invisible toxic blanket that covers the entire area and its the population.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
Mr MABUZA (61) and Mr. NKOSI TING DONG (70) pick fresh spinach at the Khuthala gardening project. They worked in big coal mines and are experts in mining. They started the first mine that employs small scale miners (Zamazamas). They are safety managers and plan the day and night shifts for one-thousand Zamazamas. Today the Zamazamas work with the Khuthala Environmental Care Group to learn how to rehabilitate the exploited land to create vegetable gardens.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
NOBOMI (38) drinks Black Label with one of her regular customers. She sells firewood and runs a small tavern selling alcohol. Occasionally she says that she also 'offers her body' for financial gains. Poverty, alcoholism, and unemployment are rife in the townships of Witbank. Government promises for housing, jobs, higher wages, and a move towards green energy have all been unfulfilled.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/ZUMA Press Wire
