Protest action launched by the communities of Virginia and Meloding on Wednesday this week, against Harmony Target Mine, continues.
The communities alongside Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua), are marching to Masimong Harmony, to the Joel Shaft; Bronville, Hanipark, Thabong and Heinemann.
They want Harmony Target Mine to stop flooding homes and streets with the Voelpan Tailings Dam and repair the damaged houses and streets, as well as provide fair employment opportunities for the community.
Magnificent Mndebele, Spokesperson of the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua), said the protest turned violent at Nyakallong last week, in a bid to quash community demands.
But Chipo Morapedi- Mrara, Spokesperson for Harmony Gold said to Earthnews365, that firstly, the Voelpan is not a tailings dam.
Two sides of a coin
Mndebele said this problem started in early 2021 when heavy rains, water from the mine, mixed with sewage spillage, flooded a nearby residential area.
He said four elderly people from Nyakallong have died as a result of respiratory illnesses caused by the incident.
“Harmony Target Mine has ignored this issue for too long and the community is suffering.
Those that are not dead are slowly but surely dying. Riverside Nyakallong is the home of asthma pipes, the young and the old are sick. This is in violation of Section 24 of the Constitution which states that everyone
has a right to a non-harmful environment, and Harmony Target is clearly showing no remorse about the plight of the community” he said.
He said a report produced by the MACUA branch (Nyakallong), in collaboration with the Benchmarks Foundation, observed that there were dissolved solids inside the water from Harmony Target Mine.
Morapedi- Mrara, said during the past rainy season, the Free State received over 900mm of rainwater, exceeding the normal annual average of about 526mm.
“These values demonstrate a significant increase in rainfall, which is well beyond the average volume normally received, thereby significantly contributing water into the pan, resulting in the saturation of the shallow aquifer.
The naturally flat topography also prevents water from flowing away from Voelpan through any nearby stream or river tributaries. Pans further north of Voelpan Welkom 41 and Witpan 62 are experiencing similar problems due to the increased rainfall that cannot flow away, resulting in the local roads being temporarily closed.”
She said this provides context to the volume of rainfall received and the fact that it cannot flow away along a stream or river.
Harmony has since invested in two water treatment plants at Target mine.
“Currently, all water is being treated on-site, and there is no discharge going into Voelpan.”
She said Harmony continues to engage with and assist the infrastructure team at the Matjhabeng municipality with various water projects in the region as part of our Social Labour Plan (SLP) initiatives, as well as well as assist affected communities.
Picture: Harmony Gold