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Action Voices
2012
Bench Marks Foundation
Community Monitoring Project
1
We thank the following organisations for supporting the
Bench Marks Foundation Monitoring School Project:
Action Aid South Africa
Bread for All
Church of Sweden
Foundation for Human Rights
HIVOS-MAGI
IANRA (International Alliance on Natural Resources in Africa)
NiZA (Nederlands Instituut Zuidelijk Afrika)
Norwegian Church Aid
We thank our core funders:
Christian Aid
Diakonia (Sweden)
EED (Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst)
ICCO (Interkerkelijke Organisatie voor
Ontwikkelingssamenwerking)
who made this work possible.
Coordination team
Brown Motsau Bobby Marie Caroline Eric Mokuoa Maria Dyveke
Ntaopane Styve
The views expressed in this Cover: Remembering Marikana
publication are those of the monitors Miners assembled on the hillside
and do not necessarily reflect the in Marikana during the memorial
views of the Bench Marks Foundation service for those killed by police.
or its funders. Photo: Reuters
Bench Marks Foundation
2012
ISBN 978-0-620-55398-8
Action Voices 2012
2
Contents
Foreword4
Introduction5
Monitors’ writings 6
Ekurhuleni 7
Rustenburg 14
Vaal 23
Klerksdorp 29
Free State 35
Limpopo 42
Mpumalanga 45
Internet and digital mapping 47
Partnerships48
Community Monitoring School
2009 Graduation 2010 Graduation
2011 Graduation 2012 Coordination team and facilitators
3
Foreword
T he year 2012 is one we will
never forget, a year of mass
resistance to mining practices; a
monitors from the Monitoring
School have been saying about
their communities in the mining
society and that is responsible for
the growing inequalities and mass
marginalisation of people’s voices
year of community protests and areas. will begin to change.
strikes that led to what has become We hope that this publication We need a redistributive
known as the Marikana massacre. which records their stories will economy based on fairness,
Thirty-four workers lost their help develop policy and practice equity and justice to prevail. If
lives in one day because they that bring real transformation to not, expect more Marikanas and
went on an unprotected strike. communities. rising discontent.
Do we require a massacre of the Marikana’s sadness and tragedy I pray that those in power will
oppressed and powerless before has strengthened the Bench Marks see the error of their ways and
those in power, political and Foundation’s commitment to recognise that ‘I am because you
business leaders take our word support local community activists are’.
seriously? to observe and analyse events, We need a caring society, one
The Bench Marks Foundation’s propose solutions and act with of selflessness, one of recognising
research work since 2006 has determination. that we share this world and if one
warned about the growing We believe that Marikana is the person suffers, so then do us all.
discontent in mining communities start of a change in our country and Thank you to all the community
and the possibility of violence that the authorities, government monitors and the Bench Marks
flaring up. and mining executives will begin Foundation team for their
Mines are encroaching on meaningful engagement around important contribution to building
overcrowded communities taking what needs to be done and how. a society of community activists
over their land, affecting their Of course, this engagement must and giving us hope for the
livelihoods, wellbeing and health. begin with the communities future. n
They do not feel the benefits of directly affected by the impact of
mining and instead witness the mining operations. Rt. Rev Dr Jo Seoka
social ills leading to dysfunctional We hope the greed and culture Chairperson
communities. This is what the of individualism that pervades our Bench Marks Foundation
4
Introduction
A ction Voices is a presentation
of the writings of monitors
in the Bench Marks Foundation´s
provinces we trained a facilitator
selected from the local area.
Facilitator training has become
In this edition of Action Voices
we present the writings from each
of the schools and community
Community Monitoring School a new aspect of our work in the workshops. We also talk about our
and a report on the school’s Community Monitoring School webpage and other internet work
progress. and in 2012 we had five facilitators and share information from our
We prepare this issue soon after assist in running the school. partners in other African countries.
the Marikana massacre where The Monitoring School in We hope Action Voices 2012
34 mineworkers, protesting for South Africa was localised in will give you a taste of the work
higher wages and better working Rustenburg in seven communities that has been going on in the
conditions were slain by police and in three communities around Monitoring School this year and
bullets. The frustration that drove Klerksdorp in the North West that you will get a sense of what
the workers to take on mining Province. We expanded to the the monitors are doing to record,
bosses, the police and their very Free State Province and worked and to fight against the injustices
own union leaders who let them with five communities there. experienced by their communities.
down, is the same frustration In the Vaal, four communities n
expressed by our monitors in their participated in the school and John Capel
writings. in Ekurhuleni, in the Gauteng Executive Director
They are tired of their voices province we worked with a Bench Marks Foundation
being ignored when pointing nucleus of leaders. We held regular
out the suffering they endure in workshops in two communities
their work and community lives in Limpopo and in seven
at the hand of big and powerful communities in Mpumalanga. The
corporations. They are angry with Monitoring School worked with
political leaders who take their 29 communities in South Africa
mandate, but refuse to implement during 2012.
them. Links with groups in the
Like the Marikana workers, our Southern African region were
monitors also feel that for change maintained and developed. Early
to take place Voice alone is not in the year we met in a workshop
sufficient. Those who cry out with fellow activists from
must be prepared to stand against Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and
authority to bring about change. Tanzania. Monitoring is taking
The 2012 programme has seen a place in the latter three countries
major leap forward in the way the and we share information from our
Monitoring School operates. From partners in the last section of this
2009 to 2011 we worked with 15 publication.
monitors drawn from different This year we published
communities, while in 2012 we Resources for Community Monitors,
worked in five different provinces. an important publication for the
Due to an organisational review, training of local facilitators. The
we adopted a new organising website where monitors post their
approach where the number of work was launched and monitors
participants in the school rose from are now sharing their work with
15 to 80 community activists. For activists across the world (see
each of the five schools in the five www.communitymonitors.net).
5
Monitors’ writings
Ekurhuleni
Rustenburg
Vaal
Klerksdorp
Free State
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
6
Ekurhuleni
Houses built on wetlands
Will a promise to fix the cracks and sink holes be kept?
Qeduszi Masina – Ekurhuleni Environmental Organisation (EEO)
K wa-Thema is in the far east of
Johannesburg in Ekurhuleni.
It is a small township with a
at what they saw; a big hole inside
the house and another one outside
the yard.
Mrs. Masikili has still not
received any help.
I went to the official in the
population of about 48 000 and a The first thing they did was to office of Mr Sdumo. I tried to
high rate of unemployment. ask the municipality officials for explain to him the problem faced
Houses in the section called help. The officials put red tapes for by the Masikili family and asked
Nyanyathu have a problem with danger and then disappeared. him why no action was taken from
the ground sinking. She kept on asking them when 2004 till now.
Nyanyathu was built in 1984 by they were going to fix the problem Mr Sdumo indicated that it´s the
the government for the people of and they kept on giving promises, first time he heard about this and
Kwa-Thema. People were happy but no action was taken and this he went to get more information
for the houses until some of them happened in March 2004. and came back. He said that it’s
discovered the ground sinking and She was forced to close the not only Mrs Masikili, there are
the houses cracking. crèche because of the holes, afraid other houses as well and they want
The Masikili family was one of that the children would fall into to fix them at once.
those affected by this problem. them. She did not get any help But nothing has happened from
Mrs Masikili was making a from the local government. 2004 until now.
living in 2002 by running a crèche It´s now 2012 and the house is He took my phone numbers so
at her house. One day while still not fixed. She closed the holes that we could make an appointment
having lunch they heard this big with rocks, but you can feel that to see the house.
bang. When they went to see what the ground is very soft and that it I hope and believe he will call,
was happening, they were shocked can still sink. and that something will be done. n
7
Ekurhuleni
Polluted spruit Buluthando Park was built in
Rest in Peace in memory of the
shaft are two schools, one is
Phulong secondary school and the
two kids who passed away in the other one is the Phelang school
This dangerous spruit spruit in 2006 as a result of the for handicapped children. The
in Kwa-Thema is left spruit flooding. children pass near the shaft when
unsecured, despite having The spruit is still dangerous going or coming from school
already claimed two lives. because it is not secured, and there every day, and the shaft is not
are no bridges for people to cross. secured at all. We have already
Sibusiso Buthelezi The spruit continues into areas lost three kids according to the
Ekurhuleni Environmental in and around Kwa-Thema where family of Mkhwanazi.
Organisation (EEO) much improvement can be made Pat, who is the leader of the
by putting up guard rails, nets or Street Committee in the Interland
anything that will help with safety section, says that they have tried
in this regard. many times to talk to the local
The EEO tried to meet with the government without success.
local government to discuss the Unfortunately they can´t get hold
matter further. The local board of the Vlakfontein mine owners.
meets once a month and we have When talking to the ward
been promised a meeting with councillor, Dora, she told me
them. that the place was supposed to
The EEO undertakes the be made into a train station. That
bettering of our community by was Kwelemthini’s plan for local
beginning with the small steps government in 2008. The aim was
to work towards a better future, for the train to run from Duduza
K wa-Thema has a polluted
spruit that runs from the
Brakpan industrial area to the
not only for us, but for future
generations. n
via Tsakane to Kwathema.
Unfortunately Kwelemthini
passed away, but Dora will try to
township, and this spruit is not get more information about the
fenced off. plan.
The spruit begins in the
Brakpan industrial area where
Where are the The question we asked was,
what are they doing to protect the
the companies pollute it and then
passes through Wright Park where
mine owners? community in the meantime?
She indicated that she will
it is again polluted, and from there Vlakfontein mine owners take the matter up and see if they
it flows to Kwa-Thema. leave open shaft and local can´t get hold of any information
In Kwa-Thema the spruit runs government can’t find them. leading them to the Vlakfontein
near Tlamoga College through to mine owners.
the Pulong High School where Kagiso Modikoe We, as EEO, have already
the spruit separates the informal organised paint to write on the wall
Ekurhuleni Environmental
settlement and the college. of the shaft. We are struggling to
Organisation (EEO)
The people in the informal area get the right industrial stepladder
who use this water are not aware
K wa-Thema is a township so that we can paint on the shaft
that it is toxic. wall to make everybody aware of
Children play in that water and which was built where the
Vlakfontein mining area and other the danger we are facing. n
when it rains and floods the water
gets into the informal settlement small mines used to be.
houses, creating a bad smell. The Kwa-Thema is in the east of
community dumps waste in the Johannesburg, in an area called
spruit and this is causing blockages Springs, and most of the people
and attracting rats. here come from Paynville where
As the spruit runs towards the they were moved by the apartheid
Rest in Peace section, it passes government.
through an open area where the Shaft 5 was left behind by the
community crosses. Children pass Vlakfontein mine in the section
through to and from school. called Interland. Near to the
8
Ekurhuleni
Mzumbe’s platinum Rietfontein waste Five townships,
refinery in Nyanyadu one hospital
People are getting sick Toxic waste dump grows Can Pholosong Hospital
from chemicals from the closer to community handle all its patients?
platinum refinery, and no- in Extension 4.
one will take responsibility. Sibusiso Buthelezi
Mduduzi Qwabe
Ekurhuleni Environmental
Neo Mbangula Ekurhuleni Environmental Organisation (EEO)
Ekurhuleni Environmental Organisation (EEO)
Organisation (EEO)
P latinum refineries use a lot of
dangerous chemicals to refine
T he Rietfontein waste area
is very close to Nyanyadu
Extension 4 in Kwa-Thema, east
platinum. The platinum refinery of Johannesburg.
was built long before some of When Rietfontein was
the sections in Kwa-Thema were established the community was
built. Mzumbe was built in 1999. not consulted by the company.
When they started building, The place did not have a concrete
the platinum refinery objected fence around it, so people could
to the building of houses near its go through as they liked and kids
plant as they use chemicals.
Unfortunately this fell on deaf
used to play on the dangerous
waste dump. K watsadutsa is the name of
five townships that include
Kwa-Thema, Tsakane, Duduza,
ears. The community fought and they
When the contractor was put up a concrete fence. But people Geluksdal and Langaville. The
approached, he indicated that he still go there to look for food, and Pholosong Hospital is situated in
had nothing to do with chemicals, things that they can sell. Tsakane.
he was only building houses. Companies bring toxic waste It is a level two hospital (level
Because people were desperate to the dump and people are not one being the lowest and level
for houses, it was very difficult informed. The people of Extension three being the highest) and
to stop them from occupying the 4 complain about the smell that accepts any case sent to them.
houses. comes from the area. They cannot send you away
Now many people have chest The waste area is growing to another hospital even if they
problems. Most of the people nearer to the community and it is are overcrowded. They have
are not working so they cannot very toxic. an out patient department and
afford medicines and treatment. Talking to a security guard, he what we call step down, one day
The company says it´s not said, “We can´t stop the people operations like circumcision.
responsible as they tried to stop from coming, because people are When the hospital is full
the municipality from building hungry and desperate to get food patients sleep on the floor.
these houses. and things that they can sell.” Sometimes the hospital takes
In April two tanks blew up The security guard also said that double the number of patients
at the plant and a lot of smoke they tried to stop the people from with the same number of nurses.
covered Mzumbe. We don´t scavenging at the dump, but the The nurses are overworked.
know the extent of damage on people got angry and threatened to Someone who is tired can
the people’s health. We tried to kill the security guards. dispense the wrong medicine.
approach the platinum bosses, We phoned the company’s Fana Ndebele, an outpatient,
but we were warned that nobody management. We were told to told me, “When it´s weekend and
is allowed near the area until the write a letter to tell them saying it’s time to come for treatment,
cause of the blast is known. who we are and to state the it’s hell, they stab each other in
The government is not problem, and they would get back the shebeens, get hit by cars and
available to comment or have to us. So far we have not yet heard so on, and it is terrible as you can
meetings with them. n from them. n see that the nurses can’t cope.” E
9
Ekurhuleni
Simphiwe Nkosi took his A patient, Busi Khanyi, her down and pulled her to a
mother to Pholosong, and she indicated that most of the time she bush were she was raped many
said that the nurses were not does not get her medicine and she times. She could not see the guys
friendly at all, but there is no has to spend money on a taxi just to because it was dark. They left her
other hospital to take her. find out that there is no medicine. there and she woke up in hospital.
The community of Kwatsa- “It is not the nurses that are Even today she is still disturbed
dutsa must come together and the problem, but the so-called by what happened which is why
march against the government democratic government that she is going for help.
that doesn´t care anymore about works for itself, not the people, The second lady I talked to did
the people. and whose officials are corrupt. not want to say her name and did
Pholosong Hospital cannot How can the government give not allow her photo to be taken.
handle the pressure and more a tender to someone to supply She was raped at her home after
hospitals must be built. n medicine and don’t follow-up on school. While she was washing
whether they are doing justice to her school clothes two guys came
the community or not?” said Busi and kicked her in the stomach
The solution to the problem is very hard. She fell down, and
The Kwa-Thema Clinic that the government must take the
responsibility for making sure that
from there she was taken to the
bedroom and raped, then they
the drugs are distributed in time, ran away but one of them left a
Government must ensure and not shift the responsibility to wallet.
that medical supplies are contractors who don’t care. “I could not do anything, I
distributed in time, because The government must build waited for my mother who took
the contractors don’t care. more clinics and employ more me to the hospital and she went
people and nurses. n and reported it to the police with
Mduduzi Qwabe the wallet which had a license
Ekurhuleni Environmental of the one of the criminals. The
police acted fast and they were
Organisation (EEO)
Rape Crisis caught, but I remain ashamed
K wa-Thema used to be a better and scared,” she said.
place. Most of the community Police warn women Police tips for women are to
did not depend on the government not to leave shebeens not walk alone at night, and never
clinic, as they were still employed. alone at night. allow a stranger to walk with
As small as it is, Kwa-Thema is you. The police raised a concern
supposed to have the best clinics Qedusizi Masina that some of the girls get raped
in the country. Ekurhuleni Environmental when they leave the shebeens to
Sister Sina Mbonani from the Organisation (EEO) go home at night. The police are
clinic told me about the problems raiding beer halls at night and
T
they encounter with the community here are more women than arrest them till the next morning.
and in the clinic. She spoke about men in Kwa-Thema and The police, social workers
the supply of medicine and the many have terrible stories to and the community must work
number of nurses for the sick tell of being raped. I met Busi together to combat this crisis. n
people. Sibanyoni at a rape crisis centre
The way medicine is supplied in Kwa-Thema, where she is still
puts them under pressure because attending counselling after being
it only comes on certain days and raped in 2008.
people have to stand in a long line. She was returning home from
They extended the municipal visiting her sick sister in White
office and left the clinic, which is City. She left at about 7.45pm.
the one that was supposed to have Down the street a guy came and
been extended. asked her how far she was going.
The community must have a She did not answer him, and
waiting space, but the space is so two more guys and a car came.
small that most people have to They took a knife and told her to
stand. Nurses are overworked. jump into the car; they pushed
10Ekurhuleni
Ekurhuleni Group Reports
Evictions from RDP houses
Corruption in the allocation of RDP houses.
Mushe Kau & Sandile Nombeni
T he population of Kwa-Thema
is about 50 000, with high
unemployment and crime rates.
belong to her. She must evacuate
the house.
She was given no time to
will get her house, the officials
asked her about her health and
since then nothing has happened.
Most people cannot afford to move and left behind her ID, her Community members raised
buy houses through the bank, high blood pressure and diabetes problems with the criteria used to
because they earn very little or medication. allocate houses at Extension 5.
they are not working at all. The house was locked and she “The people who are given
Community members have had no alternative place to stay. the houses are not even from the
been waiting for the promised We could not leave Gogo Kwa-Thema community, some of
RDP houses since 1999. Moshibe like that without a place them are rich and some of them
The community of to stay and sleep, so we went to cannot speak a South African
Kwatsadutza was very excited her relatives and asked them to language. It is corruption,” one
when the present government help and accommodate her until lady said.
took over with the hope that the we had solved the problem. We tried to get an interview
housing problems will be with the housing
solved. department about the
About 15 000 people eviction of people
are still waiting for the from RDP houses in
promised RDP houses. Extensions 5 and 3.
Early in 2012 the The officials did not
community was positive want to be mentioned by
that they will get their name, but indicated that
houses according to the they will set a date and
list. call us. Up to today there
They were encouraged has been no meeting.
when they saw RDP Our solution is to
houses being built in write a letter to the
Extensions 5 and 3. department of housing
We spoke to members and give them all the
of the community who were details of the evicted
affected by evictions. We had a meeting with the people, and demand that they take
We spoke to Gogo Josephine Kwa-Thema project manager. He action as soon as possible.
Moshibe who was allocated a said that the Ekurhuleni common We must demand the list of
house early in September. law should be followed which is those who qualify for RDP houses
Moving from the informal in favour of Gogo Moshibe. and take action with the mayor.
settlement with three grand- She was promised that the More meetings are still taking
children, she was happy that at house would be registered in her place to gather information about
last she would have a decent name, but until now nothing has the eviction of the people who
place to stay. When she moved happened. A follow-up meeting qualify for the houses.
to the new house, her shack in was scheduled, but the officials We recommend that when
the informal settlement was were not available. the RDP houses are allocated,
demolished. Another old lady, with seven the community leaders should
Two weeks later the grandchildren, told us of how she be involved to try and stop
government officials came and was robbed of her house. After corruption, and make sure that it
told her that the house did not she got a letter stating that she takes place in the right way. n
11Ekurhuleni
Unaffordable graveyard plots
Burials are delayed because of high costs.
Mati Mogotsi & Nomvula Sibanyoni
T he community of
Kwatsadutza is not only
faced with high costs of living,
concerned about how she will
be buried when she passes away,
as nobody in her family works.
Mr Siya Makhawula, who said
that the issue of graveyard plots
is a problem, as the municipality
now they are also faced with They live on her grant, and how makes the decision to raise prices
the problem of very high prices are they going to afford a decent without involving them.
for graveyard plots to bury their funeral for her? For her family it “They charge for the holes,
loved ones. The three townships is a shame. “What is wrong with and when they go to the
in Kwatsadutza, namely, Kwa- the government?” she asked. Mrs municipality, the prices have
Thema, Tsakane and Duduza all Masango said that her grant is increased, and they end up losing
use one graveyard. R1 200, which means that the as they cannot go back and
We interviewed members of money she receives cannot pay change the price to the client.
the community and asked them for her grave. Every year the prices go up
why people delay the burial without any consultation.
of their loved ones, and They only get a letter from
what happens when people the municipality with the
delay in doing so. new prices. They know
We spoke to Mr Mogudi their clients, but they are
who said that people used not consulted when the
to pay only for the people municipality makes the
who dig the hole, or if you decisions,” he said.
have people in the family “What the municipality
who can go and dig the hole tries to do is to dig 12 feet
you pay nothing. Those instead of 6 feet, so that
who dig the hole will not families can bury three of
charge more than R500. their family members in
People delay the burial one hole. But every time
trying to raise the money for the Mrs Mtsweni told us that you bury in the same hole, you
plot as it is not in the monthly the municipality should have pay the same amount, so it is not
burial fund payment. done research on this issue and helping the community at all,” he
The undertaker charges for involved community leaders said. The caretaker was going to
keeping the corpses in his place. before taking this stupid decision. meet with Jan Burger and others
Mr Mogudi indicated that a grave “There are children without in Germiston, and invited us to
now costs R2 000 and upwards, parents under the age of 15 years, the meeting.
and the price is not stable. what about such cases?” she We tried to meet with the
“This is crazy, they must give asked. municipality, but they said they
us the land where we can bury Katlego, a student, told us, were busy with housing.
our people,” said a community “Everything that happens in our The privatisation of death
member, Mrs Skosana. country is a fraud. There is no is causing delays in burying
Mr Sibanyoni, who is leadership, and what they are loved ones. At the same time
unemployed, is disappointed with doing is just benefitting their more money is charged by the
the local government on the issue own pockets.” He said that the undertaker for keeping the bodies
of graveyard plots. He says they amount they charge the people in the mortuary. We are planning
are unaffordable, and that they is completely unreasonable, and to write to the municipality for
should drop the price at least few people can afford these crazy a meeting with them and the
down to R200. prices. undertaker, and make a plan for
Mrs Masango, a pensioner, is We interviewed the undertaker, action to be taken. n
12Ekurhuleni
People in Kwatsadutza cannot afford electricity
Not all townships are charged the same for electricity, and community protests for equality go
unheard.
Tsepo Mwelase, Neo Mbangula & Kagiso Moagi
T he heroes and heroines who
died during the apartheid
struggle and those who fought
selling fat cakes. He said that the
municipality does not think of the
people of Kwa-Thema.
make decisions that suit them,
while making us live in the
dark. In the new system, most
for freedom, did not expect to be “Because most of the people of the people stay in the dark
rewarded by getting tenders or are unemployed, they buy their because they really cannot afford
jobs in high political positions. electricity with small amounts electricity. We should write a
They have been betrayed by for the period of a week or less letter to the public protector,
the political elite of today´s and the system in place is killing Thuli Madonsela, and explain the
government. This government the poor. Let Eskom sell it to matter.”
allows dangerous chameleons us directly. We are faced with Recently the mayor said on
sympathetic to the old regime to greedy individuals like Isaac TV that the matter has now been
utilise our land in Kwatsadutza. Makgabotlane who helped the resolved and that the electricity is
Kwatsadutza is composed of devil obtain its evil objectives at the same price as in the other
three different townships, Kwa- (the apartheid system), and who townships, but that’s pure lies.
Thema, Tsakane and Duduza. now owns big land as his reward Our meeting with the officials
The distribution of electricity for betraying his own brothers indicated that the issue of free
is different in the different and sisters of the African soil,” he units is solved because they are
townships. Tsakane and Duduza said. not going to be removed, but the
are supplied directly by Eskom. Mrs Zwane said, “I cannot issue of expensive electricity will
Kwa-Thema is where the believe this is happening in our be dealt with soon.
problem is. Eskom supplies the community by the government of We have written letters to the
municipality and the municipality the people by the people and for local government, we have tried
adds to the price without the people. The only thing that to call meetings with them on
consulting the poor communities. we can do is to protest without this issue but in vain. We have
“The municipality forces us to informing them, because when been on the streets protesting,
buy electricity once a month, as they changed the electricity from but they have not listened to us.
then you get full units, but if you Eskom to tenders, only their We are going to write a letter to
buy every week you lose units. friends benefited – we were not the public protector and give her
For example, if you buy for R200 informed or consulted by the local all the relevant information and
the first week you will get 200 government.” explain that we have followed
units but the second week it goes Thekiso said that the all the procedures that need to be
down. For R200.00 you get 180 community must be capacitated followed.
units – why?” asked one resident. on how the local government In the end we have to resort
We interviewed three different deals with the issues that affect to dramatic action which leaves
families in the community. their daily life, like electricity the municipality office badly
Mr Madlala from the Masimini and water. He added, “The damaged. But we are prepared to
section is running a business local government must not talk. n
13Rustenburg
The Impala mine tailings dam Illegal strikes
Tailings dams must be placed far away from people. Illegal strikes affect
Tshiamo Mekgwe – Luka community mine production and
the local businesses.
M ost mining operations
have tailings dams. This
is the waste left after extracting
These tailing dams have a
negative impact. During the
windy season the dust is blown
Dinah Mogapi
Bapong community
minerals. This report investigates to the community and this can
the impact of the Impala mine
tailings dam on the community
be hazardous to our health as we
inhale the dust. B apong is a rural area situated
in between Marikana and
Brits. It is where the greater
and environment. The tailings According to the Zolo newsletter
from the SRK consulting website: Lonmin Platinum’s operations
dam around Luka affects people
“when the Bafokeng tailings failed take place.
in the Rakhudu section.
in 1974, liquefied tailing flowed There are people living here
Tailings dams are composed of who were employed by Lonmin
leftovers after mineral processing. into an adjacent shaft killing 13
people underground.” This goes to Platinum and some of them are
After processing, the waste still employed.
show how dangerous those tailings
material is transported in the form This has increased the
dams are to the community’s
of slurry by pipes to the dams. population of the Bapo area,
health and the environment.
In Luka village, just near which includes Bapong, Segwae-
The only solution to this
Tlebebe section, there was a lane and Wonderkop.
problem is that the dams must be
burst of one of these pipes. The placed far away from people. As a result the community is
burst pipe was left unattended for In terms of the environment, the experiencing a lack of service
days and kids could have easily necessary precautions should be delivery from the government
played in that water full of toxic taken by all the mining operations. and the traditional council. E
materials. n
14Rustenburg
Bapo is a community faced mine uses. It may happen that the time due to the delay and slow
with high unemployment. The dumping site collapses, and then service delivery. Buckets full
community often request the the village is in danger, because of empty promises have pushed
mine to employ local people as the dumping site is big enough people to act in this manner. We
landowners of the land that the to cover the village. If it also elect councillors, but still we see
mine is operating on. The mine fills up and overflows it will be a no development. n
would sometimes hire a certain disaster that can claim lives and it
number from the community, but would cost a fortune to do damage
the community members would control. The chemicals from the
still remain unsatisfied about the waste material would harm the Save young
number the mine hired and this
often leads to illegal strikes.
farming in the area.
The waste site must be people by giving
Illegal strikes against the mine
affect the mine production and
monitored and inspected by
professionals. This should be dealt them jobs
employees because they would be with before disaster occurs and the
told not to go to work. Those who mines should find a dumping site
take the risk of going to work often far away from homes. n Frustrated unemployed
end up being injured or killed by youths demand jobs.
the masses.
The bus company contracted Buti Botopela
to the mine to transport the
workers will sometimes be burned
Illegal power Ikemeleng community
as a means of stopping people
from going to work. The local
connections T he frustrations, hardships
and temptations faced by
businesses have to close down Buckets full of empty unemployed young people in
their businesses, fearing they promises have caused Ikemeleng are many.
might be burned down. n the illegal connections. In our community the pool
of unemployed people grows
Tsholo Kokwe every year with matriculants and
dropouts who can’t find work.
Ikemeleng community
Lives threatened Each year there are thousands
T
of unemployed young people,
he inability of the authorities
and finger-pointing from the
Dumping site near Segwaelane to render services to the people
government and the council
must be monitored. of Ikemeleng has left residents to
complaining about the laziness
connect electricity illegally.
Tshepang Sarah Rambao of young people, and how they
This poses a number of
are illiterate and demanding jobs.
Bapong community problems for the community. The
Young and unemployed people
wire connections are not up to
are responding by burning tyres,
S egwaelane is a small un-
developed village in Brits. A
platinum mine, located close to
standard and not deep enough and
dangerous.
Even though it’s illegal, the
trashing streets and demanding
job opportunities. The blaming
and the burning tyres remain, and
the village, puts the community illegal connections are unfairly
everywhere there are ‘NO JOBS’
and environment in danger. distributed.
signs blocking young people.
As a mine operates, there are Some people are connected
Both the public and private sector
chemicals, water and different and some are not, because there
should review their employment
substances released. This is is favouritism or they cannot
programmes to accommodate all
unwanted waste material from the afford to pay. To those who use
young people from Ikemeleng.
mines. The dumping site designed these connections, it is not seen as
The sad truth is that the
by the Eastern Platinum Mines is illegal, as they negotiate and pay
higher the unemployment rate,
very large and dangerous. connection fees.
the higher the rate of drug
At the dumping site, water Maybe these illegal connections
and substance abuse among
becomes mixed with soil and will force the authority to install
youngsters and prostitution as a
forms mud. This mud contains all electricity in Ikemeleng.
way to have an income. n
the different chemicals that the People have suffered for a long
15Rustenburg
Not enough Noisy ventilation
A mobile clinic is the only local health care
pipes
for the community in Ikemeleng.
Community members
Tsholo Kokwe worried about their health.
Ikemeleng community
Kagiso Padi
Mafenya
T his village is situated in-
between Chaneng
Rasimone and is called Robega.
and
The ventilation pipes in Robega
were constructed in 2006 and
2008.
One takes air underground and
the other releases gasses to the
outside. These pipes are a great
danger to our community because
we develop lung problems, and
the pipes have a negative impact
on the environment.
I managed to interview some-
one who resides next to the pipe
and he told me that at five or six
I kemeleng is a large place,
which is divided into three
sections: Dindela, Riverside and
first and then the clinic must
transfer the patient to a hospital,
especially the one in Rustenburg
o’clock every day, you can see
dust coming out around the pipe,
and there are no plants growing
Ikemeleng centre. town. They only help patients where it is situated.
We don’t have a clinic or a who come with an ambulance I went there to check myself and
health centre. and those who are not brought by he was right. It operates 24 hours
A mobile clinic visits our an ambulance or transferred by every day and the noise level is
community once a month at the clinic, cannot be helped. very high.
around 7 to 10am. A 28-year old woman There is another one next to two
It helps some people but not all delivered her child at home. It schools (Charora High School and
of them. It only helps babies and was on the 20th of February 2012 Robega Primary School).
people with high blood pressure, at around 11 pm. She had labour The people I interviewed told
flu, headache and it gives support pains and one of her neighbours me that the consultation with the
for prevention. called the ambulance to take her community was not good.
Pregnant women, people get- to the hospital, but the neighbour They were promised jobs and
ting treatment for HIV/Aids, ended up delivering the baby, the impact of the pipes were not
TB, injuries, diabetics and stroke as the ambulance only came in explained well to them.
victims are supposed to go to the morning and collected the They felt the mine must be
the gateway clinic or the classic mother and baby. approached and told about the
clinic in Rustenburg town. The other woman, a 29-year situation, as community members´
When a woman gets delivery old, lost her baby when she health is in danger.
pains she is supposed to call an delivered at home, because the The community must be
ambulance, but sometimes it ambulance delayed to arrive. informed about the negative
delays to collect the patient. As a community, our lives are impact of those pipes on their
Sometimes at night patients in danger because of the shortage health and the environment before
must go to the Tlhabane clinic of clinics. n it’s too late. n
16Rustenburg
Who benefits? The BRP Mine Revolutionary
Will the Chaneng People have lost crops
Rastas in Chaneng
community ever benefit? and livestock and are left
with cracked houses. Apartheid police hunted
Tsholofelo Raphata down Rastas in Chaneng.
Chaneng Kagiso Molefi
Mafenya Colleen Raphata
I n 2010 there was a massive strike
where comrades were arrested.
Again in 2011 the Chaneng T he Bafokeng Rasimone
Platinum Mine is situated in
Chaneng
community decided to take to their the western limb of the Bushveld,
dusty roads with burning tyres and 30km from Rustenburg near
ministers were called in to assist. Boshoek. This mine affects
But still nothing changed. four communities: Mafenya,
Since Chaneng turned into a Chaneng, Robega and Rasimone.
mining zone, all we see is danger. The Anglo American mine
Our grandfathers’ grazing and came in 1996 to mine platinum.
farming land was taken without This mine is situated in Rasimone
any proper consultation and no and Lekgoropaneng. These two
compensation paid. No one is held
accountable. If this is how things
are done, who does Chaneng
villages fall under the Bafokeng
nation.
In 1998 the mine started to sink
T he Rastafarian movement in
Chaneng was started in 1985
by Rasta Buti who was from
belong to? two decline shafts, and obtained Moletsane in Soweto.
It looks like we are oppressed, a licence in December 1998. The He grouped young men in
and no one is saying anything, we first blasting was on the 15th of Chaneng to form the movement,
just have to keep quiet and listen March 1998 and it had a reef and this was a way to stop the
to empty promises. If this is the nine months later because it is Bophuthatswana government.
beginning of mining, we should a decline mine and 500m from So he grouped up Rasta Mmope
be concerned about how Chaneng the surface. Royal Bafokeng (chairperson), Lucas (vice chair-
will look in 20 years’ time – will Holding (RBH) has 57% shares person), Steve (secretary) and
our land still look the same? of the mine. many more.
Mining has given us hazardous The mine location was Their main aim was to attend
chemicals and heavy vibrations previously used for crops and lekgotla because young men were
that will leave us without shelter livestock grazing. Compensation not allowed to attend. So they
as our houses crack while we for this land was given to the smoked marijuana so that they can
are told that our houses are not Royal Bafokeng as landowners. be called in to the kgotla and then
properly structured. In 2000 the Lekgoropaneng they will be able to tell the elders
There is a high prevalence of community was relocated 1,8km want they really want to do.
disease and influx of migrants. from their village to Mafenya. They say at that time the kgotla
Our community is turned into Here they experience cracks in was ruling the whole village of
chachalaza; we have congested their houses and they have to Chaneng and they didn’t like
local clinics and high rates of vacate the houses during the it a bit. The Bophuthatswana
unemployment. mine blastings. n government wanted to take over
After all this, will we manage and rule the Bafokeng nation that
to make a living for ourselves in was under the rule of chief Lebone
the future and be able to teach at that time.
the future generation about our President Lucas Mangope
heritage? The question is that after wanted the chief dead. But there
the long struggle will the Chaneng was a man called Malebana
community in the end be given Metsing who was aware of all this
what is rightfully theirs? n so he formed an opposition party
called the Triple P. E
17Rustenburg
The government realised that Garona in Mafikeng by some One of the strategies of
the Rastafarians were part of this people in the Bafokeng nation the people was to boycott the
party, and called the police to who were part of parliament. payment of services with a
stop this movement. They started While some people believed promise from the to-be leaders
hunting down the chairperson. The that the Rastas were dirty, rapists that after freedom the people
other members of the movement and a crazy bunch of people, they won’t be liable to pay that debt.
protected him by giving away the saw revolution, and the future of Now the community is faced
wrong person for questioning. tomorrow in the young men in with the problem of having to
Rasta Lucas was questioned but Chaneng. pay their accounts or else face
the police couldn’t use any of Rasta Mmope said, “I´ll never water cut-offs, because the
the information because the man forget Captain Tlhakane, he municipality has handed the
with the information was Rasta was the man who wanted to kill accounts to revenue collectors.
Mmope. Bathusi and he always took us to I interviewed one of the
Rasta Rasmahizel Ntan told the the police station.” people who has been, and is still
Rastas in Chaneng to go to kgotla Chaneng still has a few Rastas, fighting, for the scrapping of all
to find a piece of land to plant their but they are not as active and the debt, which he refers to as
herbs as this would restrict the strong as those in the past. They ‘apartheid debt’.
mines from taking that land. He still pray for revolution. He holds an executive position
believed that the mines had booms They believe that if you pray in the SANCO Tlhabane branch
that they use underground that will in the mountains your prayers and wished to remain anonymous.
kill them. will come true and that the war in He said the RLM claims to
So all Rastas and youth around Chaneng will end one day. n have scrapped the so-called
Chaneng went to the kgotla to tell apartheid debt, which SANCO
them that they didn’t support the and a certain portion of the
mining idea and asked for a piece
of land. Apartheid debts community believe to be pure
lies. They still have to pay the
The kgotla took the issue heavy debt that they owe.
to Chief Lebone, and he took In one of the Imbizos held
Community faces threat
the matter to the parliament in early this year, the RLM called
of water cut-offs.
Mafikeng and it didn’t go well. on all those who were not happy
President Mangope saw Rasta Rapula Kedige with their accounts to come and
Rasmahizel as a troublemaker and check whether the scrapping has
Tlhabane community been effective on their accounts.
tipped off the police to get him
killed, so he ran to Botswana for The interviewee believes that
his own safety. this is a divide-and-rule tactic
The police was sent to come that would scare people away
and beat up all the Rastas. from airing their concerns freely.
All the Rastas were part of a He added that, “When we
group called Dynamos, where they boycotted payments, we did it
all came together to talk and pray. collectively and not individually.”
They were found while together I believe that the community
and were taken to Mogwase police must guard against being used as
station and were beaten up by pawns for political gains.
policemen.
The man that they most wanted
P eople fought for the liberation
of this country and the people
of the townships of Tlhabane are
This issue can be solved if
the community can tackle the
problem without the interference
was Rasta Bathusi Molelekeng,
no exception to that. of political organisations.
they wanted him dead, so he got
They had to come up with Politicians tend to agree to
seriously beaten up and died in
strategies to weaken, paralyse disagree on certain things. Their
later years.
and destabilise the apartheid discussions never satisfy the
The Triple P was run by two
government, which had planned community and drag on for long.
old men called Mokeriman and
well, for example, by introducing If people are not united they
Mokgobe and they believed in the
the so-called independent become vulnerable to the ignorance
Rasta movement.
bantustan states. of the ignorant leaders. n
The Triple P was formed in
18Rustenburg
Rustenburg Group Reports
The problems of Mmaditlhokwa
No title deeds for this unhappy settlement.
Hope is all we have
Alex John Salang
Residents are impatient
and tired of waiting
for electricity.
Bakang Tlhapane, Tshepang
Moerane, Kgomotso
Ramatlhware & Tshepang
Rambou
S egwaelane is one of the Bapo
tribe villages. It is found along
the Sun City route between the
Bapong and Makolokwe villages.
There is a section where
M maditlhokwa is a rural
settlement close to Marikana
whose original name was
“There is no proper sanitation,
we use pit toilets. People are
given small stands and there are
people have been living without
electricity for about ten years.
Residents use candles and paraffin
Maretlwana, a Setswana name no proper roads, electricity or
stoves for survival.
for a local berry. Maditlhokwa running water, and people are
This has led to uncontrolled fires
means ‘necessity’. Ditlhokwa is a forced to drink underground water
and the death of Gogo Malebye,
Setswana word for ‘very important’ that may be contaminated. School
who was burnt to ashes because of
or ‘of utmost necessity’. children walk from the village to
a paraffin stove.
Maditlhokwa is based in school along a busy dusty main
The Bapo Ba Mogale Tribal
Ward 32. The ward councillor, road,” he said.
Authority helped the family with
Appearance Ndlovu, recently Mr Johannes is a pensioner. He
funeral expenses and Madibeng
wanted to change the name to used to work for Unitrans. When
Municipality donated a tent for
Tsakane, shangaan for ‘happy’. he reached pensionable age he
the family. Now the family has
This village has seven sections, was offered R46 000 as a take-
managed to build a two-room
each with a street committee. home lump sum. He is unhappy
shack.
The settlement is the result of the that people don’t have title
The lack of electricity depresses
relocation process when Tharisa deeds. He complained about the
most of the residents, so some have
Minerals bought the land for their distance to the communal water
connected electricity illegally.
chrome mining operations. tank and lack of electricity. “The
They say they do not have a
In the old settlement, each shack is not divided and there is
choice but to do so. Connecting
household had a big stand to build no privacy. The mining house
a house, and space for gardening. electricity illegally is dangerous
holds their public meetings, but
There were no tar roads, but the show no prospects of providing because the wires are not deep
dirt roads were big enough. Water development for the community,” enough.
was a challenge, because there he added. One 31-year old male resident
was no taps in the yards. People “The Tharisa mine is recruiting, said he has lost hope, because it’s
used gas, wood fire, solar energy but unfairly. Local people are not been more than seven years with
and paraffin. recognised by those who recruit. nothing but promises of electricity
In the new settlement, shacks They employ migrant labour and installation. Nothing is happening.
are built with cheap materials. there is a lot favouritism. The The councillor, Ms Dinah
It is a disaster when it rains or Human Rights Commission must Moamoge, said that before the
is windy. “There was never a intervene because our basic rights 2010 municipal elections, a 100
proper township establishment are violated. The Department of houses were identified for the
plan in the first place,” said Mr Human Settlements must do their installation of electricity.
Mthombeni Johannes, a resident job, by making sure that we have The number of houses was
who settled here in 2006. proper housing,” he said. n increased to 800 houses for
installation. E
19Rustenburg
This year in September, a
mapping and survey was done to Cracked houses
find the exact number of houses
that need installation. It was Who should account for the cracked houses in Mafenya and
found that the total number of Chaneng?
households that need electricity
was 479 houses. Collen Raphata, Keneiloe Letupu, Olebogeng Motene, Kagiso
The budget from the Madibeng Padi & Kagiso Molef
municipality is R7.9 million for
electricity installation. Residents
are impatient and tired of waiting,
and the contractor, Eskom, is slack
to start.
B oth Mafenya and Chaneng
youth organisations took
the challenge to research and
interviewees all identified
cracked houses as a key problem
that is dangerous.
The contractor will not give understand the impacts of mining House owners trust the
subcontracts to people who live operations on our daily lives. method used to build their
in the Segwaelane area. However, Chaneng and Mafenya houses, because they take
unemployed people will be are located in the north of measures to ensure their houses
employed to work in the area Rustenburg. are secure. For
where there is no electricity. Chaneng was example, there is
Residents who connect illegally founded in the a lady who told
are advised to disconnect wires, or 1800s and the us, “The builders
else they face serious jail time or community laid rocks in
heavy fines. lived in mud the foundation
Segwaelane residents who have houses, and and mesh and
stands at the Moshongo section lived off cattle brick force
are advised to build one/two-room and crop throughout the
shacks so that a meter box can be farming. walls.” Most of
installed. If the contractor passes The Mafenya the houses have
the empty stands, then there is community was been built over
no second round for another relocated from the past 10 to 20
installation. Lekgoropaneng years and never
In September 2012, councillor by the Bafokeng had a problem
Moamoge met with community Rasimone of cracking.
members who do not have Royal Platinum Only after the
electricity, to update them about Mine in 2000 and were promised mining operations started did the
the process of installing electricity. better living conditions and well- problems emerge.
It was the first and the last meeting. built houses. In 2009 Styldrift conducted
People have been promised These communities have a survey on cracked houses
lighting in their houses by been directly affected by mining in about 100 houses and the
December. Now it looks like activities since the day they findings stated the cracks were
another dream because contractors became mining communities and due to poor workmanship.
have not started on the site. their way of life has changed However, houses built by BRPM
Residents are becoming impatient drastically. for the Mafenya community are
and they are losing trust in their The following companies badly cracking too. An old lady
councillor and the contractor. n operate around our community: from Chaneng said, “Back in the
Styldrift project, Bafokeng days we lived in mud houses and
Rasimone Platinum Mine, never had cracked houses, but
Impala 20 shaft, Xstrata Merafe all hell broke loose when mining
smelters, Maseve platinum, started.”
Wesizwe and Andru opencast The households interviewed,
mine. mentioned that mining activities,
We had interview sessions like blasting is the main cause
in 12 households in Chaneng of this problem, because the
and four in Mafenya. The vibrations are strong.E
20Rustenburg
A Chaneng lady told us
that her window broke during
Crime and substance abuse
blasting at Styldrift and said, “I
had to fix it with my money for Hopelessness leads to substance abuse. Lack of
the safety of my family.” facilities drive the youth to the taverns.
These houses are posing a
Tsholo Kokwe, Buti Botopela, Lynda Mathafeni & Norman
threat to the lives of families and
Khobeli
some are so badly cracked, that
any movement may lead to walls
falling. A man in Mafenya told
us, “I´m afraid to close the door
because then the wall might
fall.”
Chaneng and Mafenya are
part of the Royal Bafokeng
nation and everything
concerning these communities
has to go through the RBA first.
This year the Chaneng
community gave the Chaneng
Kgotla and Chaneng Youth
Organisation committees
the mandate to apply for a
peaceful march to hand over a
memorandum of their demands
to: RBA, BRPM management
and Styldrift management.
I kemeleng is a farming area in
Kroondal, surrounded by mines
such as Xstrata, Samancor, Anglo
We interviewed Philip Scallo,
a 27-year old male resident of
Ikemeleng. “The community of
The march was unapproved and Aquarius. It is located seven Ikemeleng,” he said, “lacks a
because of the Rustenburg local kilometers outside Rustenburg. lot of important things, such as
municipality’s public gathering Most people in Ikemeleng are schools and recreational facilities.
checklist. In June we embarked either immigrants or tenants who That’s why most people in the
on an illegal strike that took are working in the mines, job community end up in the devil’s
two days, but was ineffective seekers and illiterates, who find trap – crime and substance abuse.
because the memorandum was it difficult to be employed. This If the community gets developed
not handed over. influences criminal behaviour these problems will be solved
The mining companies are such as robbery and cable theft as because some people have skills
accountable for the cracked a way to survive poverty. and cannot put them to good use
houses in our communities. Being hopeless is one condition because of lack of proper facilities.”
Their daily mining activities that forces some people to use We urge organisations existing
have a negative impact on substances like nyaope, glue, and in our community to request
homes, health, environment and alcohol, which are consumed by assistance in hosting awareness
social well-being. both young and old people. When workshops or campaigns to
The Department of Human these substances are highly abused help alleviate this problem. The
Settlements should conduct it leads to rape, fighting and departments dealing with social
a cracked house survey. The killing. development, education and
South African Human Rights The main cause of this problem sports must play their role. All
Commission must help with the is the lack of recreational facilities, stakeholders in this place must
Rustenburg local municipality’s organisations and activities that ensure that local organisations are
public gathering checklist, might assist in keeping the youth well capacitated in order to build
which makes it difficult for busy. Most community members a better community, including the
communities to exercise
in Ikemeleng love soccer, but due Rustenburg Local Municipality,
their right to demonstrate,
to the lack of motivation, support as it has the responsibility to
in contradiction with the
and soccer facilities, they end up implement youth programmes. n
constitution. n
in taverns instead.
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