SA's gold-mining past poisons Soweto community, say residents

SOWETO'S children call it the “yellow mountain”. And for decades a gold mine dump that towers over the Snake Park neighbourhood of South Africa’s largest township has been polluting the area and poisoning communities.

- 

The yellow dust that blows off it stings the throat. Studies have found it contains traces of toxic substances such as arsenic, lead and uranium — a legacy of the 1880s gold rush that founded Johannesburg and Soweto.

The local Snake Park Cerebral Palsy Forum has since 2017 documented at least 15 cases of children born with the condition. Many more have deformations and disabilities, it said.

Okuhle, 13, has cerebral palsy and was abandoned in the street as a baby. Sitting in a wheelchair next to her foster mother on a recent afternoon, the cheerful girl communicated with squeals.

“She can’t walk, she can’t speak ... she can’t use her arms well,” said Lilly Stebbe, 60, who also blames the mine for the child’s asthma, eye and sinus problems.

Stebbe herself struggled with a constant cough and irritated eyes. The dust went everywhere, she said.

“When you breathe that dust, it can give you all kinds of cancer,” said David van Wyk, lead researcher at the Bench Mark Foundation, a watchdog of local business practices.

“Tt can also mix your DNA codes and your children will be born with all kinds of deformities,” he said. “We find lots of... physically challenged children in this community.”