We take note that the quality of air remains a cause of concern as statistics shows that urban air pollution is linked to up to 2 million premature deaths worldwide and furthermore that more than 1 billion people worldwide are exposed to outdoor air pollution annually. Monitoring station have been set up to monitor the air quality in Marapong. It is used to identify the main source of population in the communities and to determine the improvement in air quality as the interventions are implemented. Communities are sick from breathing contaminated air every day. Women are carrying a huge burden as they are faced with unpaid labour of taking care of the sick family members each and every day.
This links directly to capitalism because this big mines and companies only care about making profits and are not at all concerned about the health hazards they cause and the health burdens that communities are carrying due to the polluted air. Government also does nothing to regulate this and ensuring that people do not suffer because of polluted air, like the big companies, their concerns is the money generated from this companies. It also does not help that we have a poor health system, so working class citizens suffer the most, especially the ones who live close to this mines.
By Francina Nkosi