A national air quality report has revealed that Gauteng has the worst air quality in the country. The report says the province has had only a few days of clean air since 2017. It even rivals Mpumalanga, which has heavy pollutants — power stations.
According to the report, in 2023 the province enjoyed only 100 days of fresh air, followed by Mpumalanga with about 100-200 days. Free State and North West also accounted for at least 200 days. As a country, we ought to be concerned that the standard of air quality is this low.
Poor air quality affects the general health and wellbeing of the population. It is not the first time this issue has been raised. This bleak picture reminds us of complaints from residents who often report that there is something smelly in the air.
In 2022 an investigation was conducted by the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment after residents from these provinces complained there was a suspicious stench in the air.
The task team found that the sulphurous smell was coming from industrial pollution in Mpumalanga and it drifted towards Gauteng and the North West.
Just last week, a young mother from Emalahleni told the Sunday Times that she and her loved ones are dying slowly due to air pollution from power stations. She is an applicant in a court case which has been dragging on since 2017 relating to the negative impact of power stations on people's health in Mpumalanga.
During this period she had a child, who also suffers from respiratory ailments. The pollution problem is gradually making its way to the courts, but in the meantime people’s health is deteriorating.
On the surface, these are just complaints about air quality. But at a much deeper level, it reveals the lack of urgency with which the government treats issues of the environment and healthcare.
Imposing sanctions on those who do not adhere to emission targets, providing resources for the department to fully monitor air quality and putting air pollution and environmental issues on the agenda of governance is what needs to happen to improve and sustain the wellbeing of South Africans
A nation needs a government for many things, such as protecting them, looking after their affairs and improving their lives. And healthcare forms a big part of the government’s protection of its citizens.
After so many years of signs that air quality is an issue, with public knowledge of who the big offenders are, what has been done to address this problem? If the government was serious about reducing the strain on the healthcare system, it would treat air pollution as an agent of change.
Clean air reduces the risk of respiratory illnesses, cancer, strokes and heart disease. Research has highlighted a growing concern about the impact of toxic air on people’s mental health. It is not just an environmental issue, but a risk to the sustainability of the country.
If the new report is anything to go by, there is an urgent need for policy reform, robust implementation and adoption of air quality standards.
The hope is that leaders will apply the gazetted regulatory guidelines on monitoring and imposing penalties for noncompliance.
National air quality officer Patience Gwaze admitted that this was not the full picture as their research had limitations due to a lack of access to monitoring equipment in some provinces. She said out of 130 air monitoring stations, only 107 are functioning, with some experiencing deteriorating infrastructure.
Imposing sanctions on those who do not adhere to emission targets, providing resources for the department to fully monitor air quality and putting air pollution and environmental issues on the agenda of governance is what needs to happen to improve and sustain the wellbeing of South Africans.
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