Calls for added air quality monitoring in the City of uMhlathuze

Calls for establishment of a Richards Bay Air Quality and Industrial Sustainability Forum to tackle persistent air pollution

1 hour ago

Gugu Myeni 2 minutes read

Taken during a Richards Bay Clean Air Association site visit, a heavy truck kicks up coal dust near the IDZ on Medway Road Photo: Sandy Camminga

Amid growing concerns over industrial emissions and the coal dust polluting Richards Bay and surrounding areas, a call has been made for increased air quality monitoring in the City of uMhlathuze.

Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Narend Singh has called for the establishment of a Richards Bay Air Quality and Industrial Sustainability Forum that will hold industries accountable.

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He said this platform would bring together DFFE, the provincial government, uMhlathuze Municipality, industry, organised business, and community representatives.

“A forum [is needed] where data is shared openly, where problems are identified early, solutions are co-designed and progress is tracked and reported publicly.

“This forum must not become a talk shop. It must have clear terms of reference, measurable commitments and independent oversight.

“It must include the voices of the communities most affected — not as an afterthought, but as full participants,” said the deputy minister.

He was addressing captains of industry at an engagement hosted by the Zululand Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZCCI) in Richards Bay last week.

Singh highlighted plans to strengthen air quality monitoring infrastructure in the region, including expanding the network of monitoring stations, improving data quality, and making that data publicly accessible.

Compliance and transparency

He said the DFFE plans to donate an air quality monitoring station to the City of uMhlathuze.

“Communities have a right to know what they are breathing, industry has a responsibility to know what it is emitting, and government has a duty to ensure both are true,” said Singh.

“We are working towards the declaration of Richards Bay as a priority area under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, where the evidence supports it. A priority area is not a punitive designation.

“It is a focused commitment — a recognition that this region requires coordinated, resourced, multi-stakeholder intervention to bring pollution levels within national standards.”

The deputy minister also pleaded with captains of industry to go beyond compliance to ensure the health and safety of neighbouring communities.

“Where we find wilful or repeated non-compliance, we will act. Not with hostility, but with the firmness the law requires and the public expects.

“Compliance is not a ceiling; it is a floor. The companies that will thrive in the decades ahead are not those that do the minimum to avoid a fine. They are those that treat environmental performance as a source of competitive advantage.”

Singh further encouraged residents to continue to voice their concerns.

“Your health matters, your patience has been remarkable, but it should not be taken for granted. We will create the platforms for you to be heard — and we will hold ourselves and industry accountable for what we promise,” he said.

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