PRESS RELEASE
24 March 2004
Sasolburg Air Quality Monitoring Committee getting serious
about cleaning up the air we breathe.
The Sasolburg Air Quality Monitoring Committee (SAQMC) hosted environmental
justice activists from the USA on 24 March 2004. The purpose of the visit
was to give the USA activists an idea of what is happening around the environment
and the impact of chemical industries on the people of Sasolburg.
This type of exchange is important for SAQMC to share our
struggles and challenges. Sasol is not only polluting us in Sasolburg, but
also the community of Mossville in the USA where they also own a chemical
plant. We want industries to know that we are serious about cleaning up
the air we are breathing. Through this exchange project we will strengthen
our movement to stop industrial pollution in South Africa and in the USA.
Teresa Almaguer, one of the activists from the USA, said that
it is simply inhumane for communities to live so close to these polluting
industries. People have enough problems like unemployment, HIV/AIDS; they
don’t need to be killed slowly in their own homes.
Sasol keeps blaming the community for the pollution and spend
little effort on reducing their own pollution. If domestic burning was the
main culprit then why is it in south Durban where they do not use coal stoves
the cancer rates are still 6 times the national average with asthma rates
at 50%?
The group visited the Cedar school in Zamdela, where they
were informed of the environmental awareness programmes at the school. The
principal at the school, Mr. Kompi, mentioned that many of the learners
suffer from asthma, respiratory infections, eye infections, skin irritations,
and as a result lose school days. The health problems experienced here are
ignored because both government and industry fail to see the link to the
pollution in Zamdela. Industry in Sasolburg must take responsibility for
its health impacts on communities especially the most vulnerable, the children
and the elderly.
At the Metsimaholo HIV/AIDS group, the high incidence of HIV/AIDS
was discussed and shown how the heavy pollution worsens respiratory illnesses
linked to HIV/AIDS, such as TB.
The group were also taken on a toxic tour of the chemical
and other industries surrounding Zamdela including, Sasol, Dow, Karbochem,
and Natref by Caroline Ntaopane and other members of the SAQMC
For more information please contact Caroline Ntaopane, secretary
of SAQMC at 073-246-0081
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