Annli Tico
Mrs. Bennett
WLH Period 5
African Miners: Left Behind
Everyday thousands of miners make their way to the crowded, poorly ventilated, and faultily constructed tunnels, wondering if it is the last time they’ll see the sun. They are the backbone of South Africa, the world leader of mining, and the country’s economy. Yet they are misinformed, sick, and at risk of contracting fatal diseases and being subject to potential accidents. South Africa is home to the deepest mining tunnels in the world, but the percentage of fatalities are not up to par compared with other mining countries. Despite these letdowns, South Africa is beginning to improve on its mine regulation and safety, slowly and steadily. As the world’s biggest producers of minerals, and a provider of essential minerals to the rest of the world, we have to ask ourselves: Why is South Africa being left behind?
In 2003 a goal was set to bring mining fatalities down buy twenty percent each year in order to be comparable with other countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United States. The death toll that year was 270 people. Since then, the percentage of deaths has decreased steadily, with 128 deaths due to mining in 2010 (Mining Safety Company).
Despite these apparent improvements, these statistics do not include illegal mining, which kills nearly as many illegal workers as legal ones. In fact, in 2009, 142 legal employees were killed in mining accidents while 135 illegal miners were killed as well (Gallagher). This still leaves South Africa’s safety protocols far behind its international opponents. In fact, last year, South Africa experienced its worst mining accident since 2009 with the death of at least eight Harmony Gold miners in February, 2014 (Cropley), leaving a lot to be desired from South Africa’s mining safety sector.
Mining accidents are not the only things that kill South African miners. Due to the cramped conditions, silica dust (found most present in gold mines), and the spread of HIV, tuberculosis has manifested within South Africa’s mining population. The amount of tuberculosis cases in South Africa have currently reached ten times what the World Health Organization considers and emergency (Worldbank). According to scientific research, “Mining is a significant determinant of country wide variation in TB among sub- Saharan African nations” (Stuckler, Basu, McKee, and Lurie).
One of the reasons for the growth in Tuberculosis cases is the difficulty that occurs when attempting to treat it. The migration lifestyle of miners interrupts TB treatment which must be taken continuously to avoid the risk of developing drug- resistant TB. Adding to the problem, many miners are unaware that the are carrying the disease until after they have infected their villages and families (Worldbank). There is also a lack of knowledge about TB amongst the miners. Vama Jele, 47, stated, “When I worked in the mines, I didn’t even believe that TB came from working in that environment. When we were recruited, no one ever told us about the risk that we would be exposed to” (Worldbank).
Despite these risks, everyday, thousands of miners continue to make their way into the dark and damp mines. They harvest the minerals that we, consumerists have taken for granted, risking their lives in the process. As the rest of the world becomes more technologically advanced and materialistic, we seem to have forgotten an entire continent behind us. Deep under the earth, in the other worldly caverns and tunnels, there is an entire population left behind.
Cites Used:
Cropley, Ed, and Helen Nyambura- Mwaura. "At Least Eight Dead in South African Gold Mine Accident." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 06 Feb. 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.
Gallagher, Nuala. "Mining Health and Safety in South Africa." - The African Business Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Mining Safety in South Africa." Mining Safety. Mining Safety, n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.
Okulo, Lola. "Kenya Is Africa's Worst in Global Mining Survey." Global Issues in Context. Africa News Service, 3 Mar. 2015. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
"South Africa Tackles Tuberculosis in the Mining Industry." World Bank. World Bank Group, 3 Nov. 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Stuckler, D., S. Basu, M. McKee, and M. Lurie. "Mining and Risk of Tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
I had no idea that this was such a big problem. You did a great job explaining it all to me. One thing you may want to add is more facts in the beginning
ReplyDeleteAlso, this relates to the US because there are so many jobs that require putting lives at risk. Have there been any precautions to help solve this problem?
DeleteIt was eye opening to see how much of a problem this is. I thought that the evidence you used towards the end was really good.
ReplyDeleteHow do you think this issue could be stopped?
ReplyDeleteI found it shocking how dangerous the South African mining industry is. The workers are all at threat from the treacherous mines as well as the spread of dust and disease. Mining is not nearly as prevalent in the U.S., so we don't have much problems with it. I wonder if there is going to be any large foreign intervention in the South African mining industry.
ReplyDeleteI think that your article was very well written and had a lot of strong evidence which provided a better understanding of the problem. This connects with other countries that are still facing problems with jobs and safety issues with the only available jobs. What would be a way to limit the deaths and injuries caused by the mining?
ReplyDeleteI liked how your thesis was a question. These terrible mining conditions are similar to how terrible the mining conditions in chinese factories are. What type of materials are these mines producing?
ReplyDeleteI really liked your point about illegal miners, and I hadn't even considered how easily these cramped conditions can become so disease-infested. This is a very different system from the US, whose main sources of energy come from resources such as nuclear power. What alternate resources should Africa look into, if not coal?
ReplyDeleteI liked how your thesis was a question. These terrible mining conditions are similar to how terrible the mining conditions in chinese factories are. What type of materials are these mines producing?
ReplyDeleteYour hook was good at grabbing our attention because it shows how different life is there than in places like the US. Does South Africa have the highest mining death rate?
ReplyDelete