A recent report has highlighted the psychological impact of coal mining on local communities, with an expert saying years of residents' exposure to several environmental stressors have contributed to collective trauma.
A recent webinar that released the independent report titled ‘Everything for Dust: the Collective Trauma of Opencast Coal Mining on Residents in Somkhele, KwaZulu-Natal’, has highlighted the shocking psychological impact of coal mining on local communities, says All Rise, a non-profit organisation and registered law clinic for climate and environmental justice, which authored the document.
According to The Citizen, the organisation reports that when it began its work with the community at the Tendele Coal mine in northern KwaZulu-Natal in 2016, “we could not help but notice their extreme feeling of hopelessness and fear”.
“A sense of brokenness prevailed. There was, and continues to be, a desperate need for awareness of and assistance given to those in psychological need. … there have been reports and discussions about the physical impacts of coal mining. What has been less dealt with, and not much at all in South Africa, is the psychological impact of coal mining on mining-impacted communities.”
While there were economic advantages to mines, clinical psychologist Dr Garret Barnwell said psychological effects were ignored, with residents living close to mines exposed to several environmental stressors, which contribute profoundly to collective trauma.
The webinar reported that while the staff at All Rise knew that an assessment of their clients’ mental health was needed to ascertain what could be done to help them, “Dr Barnwell’s findings were worse than we expected”.
Environmental stressors such as dust, water insecurity, noise pollution, blasting and perceived toxic contamination have had huge psychological impacts, with at least a third of the residents interviewed around the open coal mine admitting to being suicidal. They also claimed to have suffered from psychological, health and continuous traumatic stress disorder.
Experts said there was an urgent need to change the mining narrative in SA.
Report with findings
“Although it is claimed most people live within a safe distance from the mine, the psychological reality is devastating,” Barnwell said.
“Living in this mining area is living in a reality of land, which once sustained life of all kinds, that has been gutted, transformed into a dust-stricken and rocky opencast coal pit which, for those interviewed, is a source of environmental suffering.”
He said environmental stressors such as dust, water insecurity, noise pollution, blasting and perceived toxic contamination have had psychological impacts, compounding over time.
“The destruction and loss of subsistence farming areas and grazing land … as well as difficulties herding goats and cattle, contribute to the collective trauma,” he added.
“One of the significant psychological impacts on those interviewed was the loss of livelihoods and intergenerational well-being, which has led to daily struggles with financial insecurity and, for most, impoverishment.”
Tendele CEO yet to respond
Tendele CEO Jan du Preez said neither the mine, the Mpukunyoni Traditional Council (TC) nor “many community members” were invited to participate in the webinar, but the mine’s management would study the findings and then be able to “meaningfully respond”.
“It speaks volumes that the podcast was hosted on a webinar, a platform which most of the community would not have the means to access,” he added.
“Various public participation meetings have been conducted, and we are making progress to ensure we can submit a report to Mineral Resources & Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe,” he said.
‘Findings not accurate’
He criticised the methods used for the research and said only “35 people were interviewed, and all 35 people are MCeJO (Mfolozi Community Environmental Justice Organisation) members – clients of All Rise – the same MCeJO whose aim is to close the mine”, when the community had more than 220 000 people represented by the TC.
“Various meetings have been conducted, and has been enthusiastically attended by community members, and in the main the mine has support to continue.
“We have been supported in all court cases by the Amicus, which represents the traditional council, municipality, all unions on the mine, and all business leaders in the area. Thus, leaders representing some 220 000 people, have been working with the mine in resolving old historic issues.”
Everything for Dust. 25 October 2022 secured-v2
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