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| Supporting communities through environmental action | |
| Home | Maloma
Colliery and Swazi Vanadium
Maloma Colliery Maloma Colliery, situated in a small remote town located in the Lubombo Region of Swaziland. This coalmine has a bad record in terms of environmental, occupational, health and safety standards The Maloma campaign is about achieving equity and social justice through the empowerment of disadvantaged workers so that they can participate more directly in decision-making that affects their rights and lives. The horrific stories of the methane gas explosion and subsequent series of accidents prompted the organisation to focus on Maloma Colliery as a campaign issue. A devastating explosion, closely followed by a string of accidents that were all related to the mine’s activities prompted Yonge Nawe to intervene in this case. On 12th July 2001, a methane gas explosion occurred at Maloma Colliery. One worker died on the spot whilst twelve others were seriously injured. Five people later died whilst undergoing treatment at the Mbabane government hospital. Miners at the Maloma Colliery called upon government labour inspectors to investigate what they described as poor working conditions and an apparent lack of adherence to safety regulations, which were exposing them to danger. On 20 March 2002 a three-year-old boy nearly lost his life when he picked up a detonator used when lighting explosives, whilst playing in a forest at Maloma. He was badly injured on his right hand and eye. In April 2002 a worker was crushed to death whilst three were injured when a rock, called a rock table unexpectedly fell at the Maloma coal mine. The rock fell on the unsuspecting workers during a night shift in Section 1 of the mine. At this point Yonge Nawe felt enough was enough and it was clear that the mine did not have adequate safety health and environmental standards. It was evident that these did not exist. In April 2002 Yonge Nawe requested the Swaziland Environmental Authority to order an environmental audit of the Colliery and putting pressure on the SEA. In February 2003 the Mining Quarrying and Allied Workers Union, revealed that every two months a worker dies as a result of poor working conditions. The organisation has been meeting with the mine blast victims and workers union. In addition, it has been assisting the blast victims with medical tests. Swazi Ferrovanadium Plant Swazi Ferrovanadium plant is located within the Maloma coal mine premises. This plant is known for disregarding environmental, health and safety standards. There have been cases of nausea, headaches, bleeding noses and other common problems associated with processing ferrovanadium. Swazi Vanadium (PTY) Ltd is a joint venture between Xstrata South Africa (PTY) Ltd and Tibiyo Taka Ngwane. Xstrata are a multinational Swiss mining house with interests in energy, forestry, metals and integrated ferrochrome and vanadium production. The multinational has subsidiaries in Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and the USA. They have shares in Rhovan, Vantech vanadium plants in South Africa and now Maloma, Swaziland. The organisation assisted communities and workers to participate in the scoping meeting during the proposal for the proposed Ferrovanadium plant at Maloma. When the EIA report and Comprehensive Mitigation Plan (CMP) was publicised, the organisation assisted the community to review the report. This was prompted by information gathered from international partners on the toxicity of ferrovanadium processing and past insensitivity by Xstrata to safeguard the health of employees. On 22 November 2002 Yonge Nawe made a written submission to the Swaziland Environmental Authority objecting to the issuance of an environmental compliance certificate to the proposed Ferrovanadium plant at Maloma. The objection was delivered together with fifteen written objections from the community to the Swaziland Environmental Authority. The Ferrovanadium plant began operations in November-December 2002 and officially opened in May 2003. At the official opening management stated that vanadium does not pose a health hazard to people and the environment. However, its opening did raise many concerns from Yonge Nawe and community members. Yonge Nawe used the print media to highlight the threat of Ferrovanadium to people’s health and the environment: PRESS STATEMENT Processing Ferro Vanadium Does Pose A Health Hazard To The Environment And Employees Following the article "New Company Invests E10m" in the Swazi Observer, page 6, dated May 15 2003, Yonge Nawe Environmental Action Group feels it is important to share the following self-explanatory article. Multinational Company `Xstrata' poisons miners Nine years ago, poverty-stricken rural residents in Steelpoort thought that the arrival of US $25 million vanadium mine in the area would bring prosperity and improve their quality of life. It never crossed their minds that multinational Swiss mining company Xstrata AG and its local Vanadium Technologies (VanTech) operation might instead be a hangman's noose. But with four workers dead and scores more poisoned by the toxic chemicals used in the mine, villagers are beginning to ask whether they are being exploited by one of the world's largest mining corporations. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) claims that Xstrata has poisoned almost half of its work force over the past six years... A damming independent academic study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine in 1999 confirms that some workers were exposed to 50 times the maximum limit of vanadium pentoxide, sulphur dioxide, and ammonia. www.web.ca/~iccaf. Published in the interests
of the environment and sustainable development.
As a result of this press release, workers at the vanadium plant demanded a management explanation on the occupational health and safety hazards of processing vanadium. Yonge Nawe is consulting traditional
leaders of the area. The organisation has also been meeting with the ferrovanadium
workers and assisted some workers with medical examinations. A meeting
with Swazi Vanadium Management was held followed by an environmental, occupational
health and safety assessment jointly supervised by Yonge Nawe and the Swazi
Vanadium Management conducted on the 6th of August 2003. The struggle continues
until the required environmental, occupational health and safety standards
are adhered to.
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