By Senthati Katlego Zasekhaya
Lindiwe Mayelani, 39, has been living at Emalahleni since 2009. Originally from Limpopo, she came to Mpumalanga in search of work and now stays at MNS, an informal settlement adjacent from a mine owned by Masemanzi Mining Holdings.
The mine has been in operation since 2018 and when MACUA-WAMUA Advice Office (MWAO) had community consultation in MNS informal settlement in April 2024, we discovered that Masemanzi mine is operating without a Social Labour Plan (SLP), a requisite before a mining license can be issued, integrated environmental authorisations documents and continues to violate several regulatory frameworks that govern the operation of mining companies.
“There’s so much dust. The blasting shakes our homes. We can’t even breathe properly,” says Mayelani. “There’s a six-year-old child who is in and out of hospital because of the dust. I went to see the child. It’s really bad.”
When the child’s father approached the mine for help, they turned him away, said Mayelani.
MACUA’s media unit reached out to the mine to demand for accountability; however, it never responded to our query.
Living without clean water
The people of MNS depend on six JoJo tanks for water, but those are not nearly enough for about 2 500 households. The community say the water is dirty and often smells.
In 2024, the University of the Witwatersrand conducted a study on the water and discovered the water is contaminated with metals.
Women are the most affected when it comes to accessing water in the area. As an alternative, some women in areas like Extension 4, 5 and 6, fetch water from a nearby river that runs through.
In other instances, women are forced into an unfair system of exchange just to access this necessity. They are expected to do something in return, and this could mean offering physical labour like cleaning or in worst case scenarios, they are expected to offer sexual exchange with the men.
“We are not asking for much,” said Mayelani. “Just water. Clean, safe water. They always say water is life. We need water. We won’t stop fighting until we get it.”
Two decades of struggle
The MNS informal settlement has existed for over 20 years. Despite this, the municipality has not recognised or formalised it. In 2014, residents protested and demanded water connections from nearby RDP houses built in 2011, long after the MNS settlement was established. But the municipality said MNS was not included in the Integrated Development Plan.
“But when it’s time to vote, the [political parties] come and tells us to vote,” says Mayelani.
Collen Mabelane, a Mpumalanga paralegal for MWAO working with the MNS community, said for the past seven months, he’s been helping the community to understand their rights.
“The MNS community is not unique in their struggle, but what makes their situation worse is the fact that they have been neglected for so long despite living just [around] 200 meters from a mine,” said Mabelane. “According to the Constitution, everyone has a right to clean water but that right has been denied here.”
Most residents either boil the water or go without. Sometimes they suffer from diarrhoea due to the poor quality of the water. “This is an informal settlement, but that doesn’t mean people should be denied basic human rights,” said Mabelane.
According to the law, mining companies are required to consult communities and submit SLPs which are to be renewed every five years upon expiry. Masemanzi Holdings has done none of that.
Mabelane said the Department of Mineral Resources and Petroleum (DMRP) must step in and hold the mine accountable. However, this is unlikely to happen because in manner instances the DMRP is seen to be representing the interests of elites and mining companies at the expanse of marginalised communities.
Asked what justice looks like for the MNS community, Mabelane said: “Justice would mean the formalisation of MNS, access to clean water, and basic services. People must be treated with dignity,” he says. “Right now, the lack of services creates frustration, leading to issues like gender-based violence, substance abuse and hopelessness.”