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The Unep study, which the Global Environment Facility funded, was conducted in 42 countries in regions where data on persistent organic pollutants is limited.(Photo by Doaa Adel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
AIR

UN report shows decline in some chemical pollutants as new threats emerge

Persistent organic pollutants stay in the environment over decades and longer and are linked to cancer, liver damage and decreased fertility

  • Sheree Bega
6 min read
The Munsieville pump station, which should separate solid waste from liquids, has not worked for years, leading to raw sewage flowing through the township. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
CONTAMINATION

Sewage swamp: Mogale City can’t get its shit together

The pollution is making residents sick and contaminating rivers and groundwater resources in the Cradle of Humankind

  • Sheree Bega
11 min read
Aftermath: Sello Tshalau (above) looks at the damage caused when the Jagersfontein mine dam burst a year ago. (Photo by Gallo Images/Volksblad/Mlungisi Louw)
CONTAMINATION

Jagersfontein class action lawsuit imminent

Three people were killed and dozens injured a year ago when the tailings dam at the Jagersfontein diamond mine collapsed

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read
The City of Johannesburg has recorded an increase in illegal mining activities, which include tunnelling on the road reserve, below road surfaces and excavations of bridge embankments in recent years. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ARTISANAL MINING

City of Johannesburg counting cost of illegal mining on its infrastructure

Road and water infrastructure, largely in the central, south and west of Johannesburg, is being damaged

  • Sheree Bega
3 min read
Unprocessed sewage that is sent to farmers to irrigate their crops with that has caused contamination at Rooiwal wastewater treatment works. Photos: Delwyn Verasamy
AGRICULTURE

‘Criminal’ that Rooiwal’s upgrade comes at the cost of lives

Farmers in the Apies River area decry the damage pollution from the defective wastewater treatment plant has done to their farms and livelihoods

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read
Plastic and other waste pollution along the Hennops River. The sewage pollution of the river affects the water quality of the Rietvlei and Hartbeespoort dams. File photo: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G
CARIN BOSMAN

SA hit by a ‘tsunami of sewage’

The Green and Blue Drop reports show that more than 90% of the country’s wastewater treatment works are dysfunctional

  • Sheree Bega
8 min read
Researchers have found the chemicals in a range of species such as scorpions, pandas, Siberian tigers, turtles, horses, dogs, plankton, sea lions, wild boar, otters and oysters. (Photo by Sercan Kucuksahin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
CONTAMINATION

‘Forever chemicals’ found in wildlife – report

The group of chemicals are widely used in everyday products, says environment group EWG

  • Lesego Chepape
4 min read
Water flows through the concrete pipe and across a gravel road before going under the R24. (Trevor Brough)
ACID MINE DRAINAGE

Cradle of Humankind residents fear sinkholes, groundwater contamination from toxic acid mine drainage

Excessive rainfall last month has caused untreated toxic water from old gold mines to decant into waterways on the West Rand

  • Sheree Bega
9 min read
CHEMICALS

Millions in fines if Sasol is found guilty of polluting the Vaal River system

State’s charge sheet fires six counts of environmental infractions at energy giant

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read
The criminal case relates to a complaint brought by a former Sasol employee-turned-whistleblower, Ian Erasmus. (Photo by Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)
CONTAMINATION

Sasol in the dock for environmental degradation at Secunda, polluting the Vaal River

The criminal case relates to a complaint brought by a former Sasol employee-turned-whistleblower, Ian Erasmus

  • Sheree Bega
4 min read
Thungela private security stands guard at the source of the acid mine drainage spill at the mine. Photograph: James Puttick.
ACID MINE DRAINAGE

Criminal probe into Thungela Resources for ‘catastrophic’ acid mine water spill

It will be a test case in South Africa for river pollution, rehabilitation and holding polluters accountable

  • Sheree Bega
8 min read
Water treatment plants, along with hospitals, harbours, railways and other critical infrastructure are supposed to be exempted from load-shedding in terms of national state of disaster regulations promulgated last month. (Photo by Sharon Seretlo/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
ANTHONY TURTON

SA’s dismal state of wastewater management

The Green Drop 2022 report, the first since 2013, reflects a serious deterioration in the management of wastewater treatment plants

  • Sheree Bega
9 min read
Mining output decreased by 9% year-on-year in November 2022, Statistics South Africa Photo: Gabriel Filippelli
ANGLO AMERICAN

Anglo knew for decades about lead poisoning at Zambia mine, lawyers say

The blood lead levels (BLLs) in children living near the world’s biggest lead mine in Zambia have been present for generations and have caused cognitive impairment in a large…

  • Sheree Bega
8 min read
A member of a spill cleaning crew removes dead fish from the river in the uMhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve in Durban on July 18, 2021. – South African authorities said on July 17, 2021, they were investigating possible pollution suspected to be linked to a spill at a chemical plant attacked during last week’s riots after dead fish washed ashore. The spill was identified on July 15, after an agrochemical warehouse near the eastern port city of Durban storing chemicals used for making herbicides, pesticides and fungicides was set ablaze. African authorities are investigating possible pollution suspected to be linked to a spill at a chemical plant attacked during recent riots in area. The agrochemical warehouse which stores chemicals used for making herbicides, pesticides and fungicides was set ablaze during the unrest that started last week. (GUILLEM SARTORIO / AFP)
CHEMICAL SPILL

‘South Africa must learn from its environmental disasters’

Although a legal framework exists, regulation and implementation fall through the cracks, as shown by the UPL chemical spill in KwaZulu-Natal

  • Sheree Bega
4 min read
A 58km stretch of the lower Wilge River system is “dead” after an old coal mine in Mpumalanga decanted millions of litres of acidic water into the river system last week. (Wikipedia)
ACID MINE DRAINAGE

Coal mine acidic water spillage into Wilge River system kills ‘all life, everything’

The acid mine drainage happened at Khwezela Colliery’s south shaft, which had been sealed, but the volume of water exceeded the maximum capacity for treatment at the dosing site

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read