Letter: Petition launched against Eskom
Mountains of ash are piled up from Eskom’s two coal fire power stations on the outskirts of Lephalale, increasingly posing a health risk for the residents.
Councillor Nico Pienaar, DA Caucus Leader: Lephalale Local Municipality, writes:
The DA in Lephalale has launched a petition to demand that Eskom rehabilitate its “ash dumps” within the next six months to prevent air pollution in the surrounding areas.
Mountains of ash are piled up from Eskom’s two coal fire power stations on the outskirts of Lephalale, increasingly posing a health risk for the residents of Onverwacht and Marapong.
If left untreated, the wind blows the ash to the surrounding villages, settlements, and the area of Onverwacht. Houses and vehicles are daily covered in ash and the DA has received numerous complaints from residents that the ash negatively affected their health, especially those who already suffer from respiratory problems.
We have also received unconfirmed reports from surrounding farmers that they have experienced unprecedented stillborn calves from their livestock.
The DA is concerned about the long-term effects of poor air quality on the health of the residents of Lephalale.
The petition to prevent air pollution will run until November 2023, when there will be a formal handover to Eskom.
We thank the more than 3,000 residents who already signed the petition.
While Eskom employs thousands of people in Lephalale, air pollution due to a lack of rehabilitation of ash dumps must not be tolerated and the DA will demand action.
- Link to sign the petition: https://petitions.da.org.za/p/stop-polluting-the-air-in-lephalale(.)
