Tailing mountains loom over the perimeter of Riverlea, a residential neighborhood west of Johannesburg. Australian George Harrison began prospecting for gold in this area in the late 1880s. PHOTO: ZACH PODOLNICK’ 26 / THE HAWK
The tailings that surround Riverlea, and many other Black residential communities in South Africa, are next to abandoned mines. Mining has played a significant role in South Africaʼs history since the late 19th century. Though production has been on the decline in the last few decades, mining operations, including illegal mining, continue in Johannesburg.
Environmental experts widely agree that mining tailings are toxic and create health issues for people who live near them.
The Riverlea Mining Forum, a nonprofit organization started by community members, has tried to take legal action to ensure the community is informed about local mining operations and is safe from mining-related crime and environmental effects.
“ The mining companies do not respect us when it comes to the rules and regulations that must be followed,” said Charles van der Merwe, a member of the Riverlea Mining Forum,“ so they just come and do as they please.
Van der Merwe connects people to VitalAire, an oxygen tank distributor, and conducts water tests in the Russell Stream which runs along the southern side of Riverlea adjacent to the tailings. VitalAireʼs website points to Section 24 of the South African Constitution:“ Everyone has a right to live in a clean and healthy environment that is not harmful to their health and safety.”
In August 2021, Alfred Crook, a priest in the Old Apostolic Church in Riverlea, lost his wife, Daphne, who had relied on oxygen tanks from VitalAire to breathe.
“ If she got off the oxygen for a minute, her face is getting blue, her lips, her hands,” Crook said.