Crook said he barely recognized his wife at her funeral because her body had darkened from lack of oxygen. His six-year-old grandson has also developed a chest problem that impacts his breathing and causes coughing and seizures.
But getting the mining companies, and the government, to address environmental and health impacts in communities like Riverlea is often a battle for residents.
“ Our task is rather difficult,” said Cedrick Ortell, community monitor for the Riverlea Mining Forum.“ First of all, we need experts on board, water experts, air quality experts, health experts.”
Cedric Ortell( left), Charles van der Merwe( center), and Mark Kayter( right), members of the Riverlea Mining Forum, point out a small stream of orange-colored water flowing along the base of a tailing heap. PHOTO: ZACH PODOLNICK’ 26 / THE HAWK
Mark Kayter, a member of the Riverlea Mining Forum, works to hold mining companies accountable for the impact of mine waste on communities and the environment.
Kayter spoke to the South African governmentʼs Parliamentary Portfolio Committee in September 2023 to discuss rehabilitation of abandoned mine shafts in nearby George Harrison Park. There are more than 6,000 abandoned mines across South Africa, with several hundred mines around Johannesburg, according to the office of the Auditor General of South Africa.
Kayter said he was unhappy with the outcome of the meeting. While Mintek, a mineral and metallurgical company contracted by the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy( DMRE) closed entry to about 28 mine shafts in Riverlea, those caps have done little to help the community, he said.