Residents of Clewer are fed up with breathing, eating, and living in a coal dust smothered town.
Clewer Station was previously a residential train station and zoned as a residential area, today it operates as a plant for loading and offloading coal from the numerous nearby mines.
“Many of us are staying in the residential area right next to the station, since they opened the plant there has been an issue with dust and now everyone is getting sick,” said Ms Susan Greyling.
The issue was raised when Mr Deon du Plessis went for his red ticket and was informed that the state of his lungs had deteriorated, possibly from the amount of coal dust he has been exposed to at his home in Clewer.
Residents in fear that the coal dust would cause severe issues with their respiration sought out their ward nine councillor Cllr Mavis Thimane and according to them did not receive a response, they then took things further and approached the former executive mayor Salome Sithole and again were left without answers.
“We met with Mr Nkabinde he works at environmental health at he municipality and he approached the plant and found that they weren’t in compliance to operate,” said du Plessis.
“We were told that Mr Nkabinde met with a man named Mabuza, a higher up who told him to hold onto the matter, since then we haven’t heard a thing,” said Mr Petros Mahlangu, another concerned resident.
Mrs Charmaine du Plessis said that the coal dust gets in everywhere, in the appliances, toilets, cupboards and bedding.
“Most of us are poor people without medical aid and have no ways of paying the costs for operations, not to mention the nearest clinic is in eMalahleni, so it is out of the way,” she added.
“There is no mine in Clewer, the mines are in the surrounding areas and all the coal is brought to Clewer to be loaded, it is not a place to load coal, there should be loading stations at the mines or re-open Minnaar Station as there is no residential area there,” said Mr JJ Mashiane, another Clewer resident.
Mahlangu added that the residents have contacted Mr Theo van Vuuren, acting municipal manager, inviting him to visit the residential to see for himself how it looks and what’s at fault; they are still awaiting a response.
“It feels as if the municipality has failed us, there is no one taking our complaints, even the office of Jackson Mthembu intervened but nothing has happened,” said Mahlangu.
Greyling then added that the children who play outside have had issues with their skin from all the coal dust, his grandson too who had come to stay by them fell sick to Bronchitis and he hadn’t even been staying with them for long.
When the community approached the plant they were told that if they are not happy they can move out.
“They must move, they are killing us, if they don’t want to move then they must buy us out, our concern is our health,” said Mrs Du Plessis.
The concerned residents formed a petition and attained over 50 signatures from other residents of Clewer stating that they were not happy with the current living conditions due to Value Trade Company’s loading and offloading of coal.
The petition which was handed over to the Environmental Offices reads:
“The undersigned hereby raised the concern with the black coal dust coming from Value Trade Company at Clewer Station”, stating that the coal dust is a severe health hazard, it continues with “investigate and let the company find an alternative operating zone.”
Dr Isanang Malope, a doctor from eMalahleni Private Hospital explained the hazards that coal dust may have on an individual.
“Patients tend to develop constrictive obstructive airway disease (COAD), commonly found in people working in the coal industry, this tends to cause lung fibrosis. We also find patients develop pneumonia coniosis,” said the doctor.
Mr Thulani Sibanyoni said in response that he would not like to comment on behalf of Value Trade Company as it is an ongoing issue.
