Will South32 listen to the women of Phola?
Australian mining company South32 operates the Klipspruit coal mine in South Africa, just a few kilometres away from the community of Phola.
Women in Phola are deeply concerned by the impacts of mining on their community. They have launched a year-long investigation to document the truth about the Klipspruit mine – and already they’ve brought to light some disturbing results.
“They care about coal not about our health, we are getting sick while they are getting rich”
– Anonymous quote from a woman residing in Phola, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
So far, women from the Greater Phola Ogies Women’s Forum have conducted in-depth interviews with 144 women in Phola. This is what they found:
The women in Phola are now requesting again that South32 meet with them to address their concerns.
Photos by Collen Mfazwe/ActionAid