NGWENYA RESIDENTS HAPPY SALGAOCAR CLOSED DOWN

NGWENYA – The saying that it is different strokes for different folks may hold true for Ngwenya residents as some rejoice the shutdown of Salgoacar Swaziland operations while others cry over lost jobs.

Over 100 people suffered job losses due to Salgaocar Swaziland’s closure while Ngwenya residents are breathing a sigh of relief after the suspension of the company’s operations.

Residents of Ngwenya and surrounding areas had expressed concerns related to Salgaocar operations.
They viewed the closure as an answer to their prayers, following their failed attempts to have redress by the relevant authorities.

They were complaining about the iron ore dust that was emitted in the process of digging, collecting and transporting the mineral debris. 
The dust has literally covered vegetation in the area and has also given a reddish colour to roads and buildings.

Among the concerns they had raised earlier on was that they were forced to drink contaminated water because the dust was spilling into a nearby river that was a source of water.
July Dlamini who is one of the senior residents of New Skom, said when they discovered the murky river they sent a committee of women to negotiate with the company to find them clean water.

“The feedback we got in 2010 was that the company was willing to drill a borehole, but we later learnt that the owner of the farm on which we live had not agreed to have the land tampered with in that manner,” he said.

They also alleged that they were no longer able to hang their clothes outside to dry because they caught the dust.
They said there was no suitable time to hang clothes because the trucks would drive past their houses almost every half hour.
“It is also risky to keep windows open because the iron ore dust penetrates through,” they said at the time.

Affected

The most affected residents were those from Kadake and New Skom.
Kadake is a location next to one of the Salgaocar sites from which trucks load the iron ore debris.
New Skom is situated further down a government farm, just at the foot of a mountain that doubles as the source of water for the whole community.
This week some residents said the impact of the job losses was far less than the suffering endured while Salgaocar was still in operation.

“We are now able to collect water from our rooftops because the rusty stuff is washing away bit by bit,” said a New Skom resident found at a Zulu homestead.

The residents said they were grateful the company had shut down, saying they were hopeful they would not live to suffer from the long-term effects of inhaling the iron ore dust.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: