South Africa’s Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, has allocated 225 million rand (South African currency) to the cleanup of toxic water caused by mining operations. The mining industry is huge in mineral rich South Africa, and as a result many mines have cropped up all over the country. These mines produce toxic water that spills into nearby rivers. Unfortunately, these mines not only pollute the environment but tend to be located near communities, endangering their inhabitants.
There are other dangerous consequences at stake. Not least among them is raw asbestos uncovered by the mining. Asbestos is a naturally occurring and highly toxic mineral that is known to cause such fatal diseases as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major organs and cavities.
Residents of Northern Cape, South Africa are already experiencing the horrible aftermath of the mining industry in their area, as many citizens have contracted pleural mesothelioma, which specifically attacks the lining around the lungs. The lungs are the common point of exposure because asbestos fibers are often inhaled, implanting themselves in the lungs and lingering for decades.
The decision to fund the cleanup of these mines has been met with some controversy, as the owners of the affected mines will not contribute to the cleanup cost. The South African Government is set to foot 100% of the bill, ultimately levying the cost on South African tax payers.