Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa

Coal mining in Mpumalanga, South Africa, has severely contaminated water sources and degraded land, leading to health issues and increased poverty. Women are disproportionately affected due to their roles as caregivers, facing increased labor, economic instability, and risks of violence. Despite national and international legal frameworks, the document argues that economic interests and a lack of enforcement allow mining companies to operate with impunity.

• Large-scale coal mining in Mpumalanga province has led to severe water contamination and land degradation, with 60% of the province's land currently under exploration or being mined.
• In the town of Carolina, residents have lacked clean water since mid-January 2015 due to acid mine drainage; the Boesmanspruit Dam reached a pH value of 3.7, causing skin rashes and eye irritations for users.
• Treated water in Witbank has been found to contain a strong presence of heavy metals, including aluminium, cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, and zinc.
• Women suffer disproportionately from environmental degradation because of their traditional roles in securing food and water, forcing them to walk longer distances or engage in dangerous artisanal mining in abandoned pits.
• Environmental pollution and the loss of subsistence farming have contributed to social instability in Mpumalanga, including increased poverty, alcohol abuse, and a high HIV prevalence rate among women aged 15–49, which was 35.6% in 2012.
• While South Africa has constitutional protections for a clean environment (Section 24) and access to food and water (Section 27), as well as the 'polluter pays' principle, these are often ignored in favor of economic interests.
• Mining companies in Carolina have avoided responsibility for water contamination by citing the proximity of other mines, while regulators are accused of concealing non-compliance.
• Community-led organizations such as Mining Affected by Communities United in Action (MACUA) and Women Affected by Mining United in Action (WAMUA) are working to increase transparency and use the Equality Court to fight discrimination.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2016). Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-threatens-peoples-access-to-water-in-Mpumalanga-South-Africa.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa. 2016. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-threatens-peoples-access-to-water-in-Mpumalanga-South-Africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa |date=December 2016 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-threatens-peoples-access-to-water-in-Mpumalanga-South-Africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2016coal, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2016}, month = dec, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-threatens-peoples-access-to-water-in-Mpumalanga-South-Africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }