Of roughly 6,000 abandoned coal mines in South Africa, at least 2,322 are classified as “high risk” to the public. But only 27 of these have been cleaned since 2009.
The South African government’s failure to ensure that abandoned coal mines are rehabilitated puts communities at risk of injury and death and risks polluting resident’s water sources.
Thousands of abandoned mines litter South Africa, and a combination of poor governance and business practices have left many communities living in their shadow. Vuyisile Ncube talks about how we can ensure communities are able to push the government to do better, including by holding mining companies to account.
Abandoned Coal Mines Risk Safety, Rights in South Africa miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The report says the country, which relies on coal for 80% of its energy production, has failed to clean these mines up, resulting in dangers to residents around these mines.