Activists march against toxic pollutants
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance voiced their concerns of high levels of toxic emissions released by petro-chemical companies.
THE South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) recently hosted a cancer awareness walk.
The community and representatives from Ubunye Bama Hostela took to the streets to voice their concerns about the high levels of toxic emissions released by petro-chemical companies.
“We marched united in the cause against intolerable pollution levels and the industrial sources of that pollution in south Durban to campaign for an environment in which they could live, work and play without damage to their health and well-being.”
“Conducting the first public air pollution samples in South Africa, the results of which forced government to undertake a health study in south Durban which highlighted that children in south Durban have a 52 per cent asthma rate linked to the oil refinery pollution in the area; pushing government to develop the first democratic air pollution legislation focused on protecting people’s health,” said Des D’Sa from SDCEA.
He said dreaded cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene, toluene and xylene continue to be emitted by the petro-chemical industries at alarming and disproportional levels in the south Durban area.
“Young children are dying of leukaemia, cancer and asthma in our polluted suburbs,” said D’Sa.
