WeatherSA has announced that Gauteng residents may have to endure a stench in the air till the weekend. This is due to strong winds blowing in from Mpumalanga.
The City of Johannesburg is currently investigating the cause of the smell, which is very similar to a smell that blanketed Gauteng early in 2021.
The department of environment, forestry and fisheries said that was due to elevated levels of sulphur dioxide from the Sasol plant in Mpumalanga.
The Mail & Guardian reported in 2018 that Mpumalanga has the highest levels of air pollution in the world, topping nitrogen dioxide levels across six continents.
Pollution levels have only increased since 2018 in the province due to South Africa’s heavy reliance on coal-fired power generation.
We take a look back at what has contributed to this stench that has arrived in Gauteng.
- Mpumalanga tops world nitrogen dioxide air pollution charts
- ‘We’re fighting to breathe clean air’
- Sasol plant to be investigated for the air pollution blanketing Gauteng
- NGOs sue government, Ramaphosa over Mpumalanga’s ‘deadly air’
- A river of s**it, chemicals, metals flows through our land
- Eskom makes Mpumalanga sick
- ‘We want to breathe fresh air’
- It’s time to clean up South Africa’s polluted air
- Acid mine spill in Mpumalanga will take years to fix
- Landmark Deadly Air case: 10 000 deaths annually can be avoided