Lephalale Broader Community Meeting, hosted by Earthlife in which members discussing their local energy and environmental issues in the context of a just transition
Lephalale, in Limpopo’s Waterberg region, is known as South Africa’s “energy hub.” But for local residents, coal power comes at a heavy cost: polluted air, poor health, and environmental damage.
Coal mines and giant power stations like Matimba and Medupi pump out staggering pollution. Government data shows the Waterberg–Bojanala Priority Area emits about 397,000 tons of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and 87,000 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) each year — pollutants linked to asthma, heart disease, lung cancer, and premature deaths.
Activist Maggy Mokoka explains: “Beyond health, these pollutants fuel hardship — lost workdays, high healthcare costs, and worsening unemployment. It is not fair that our communities are regularly subjected to toxic, ash-filled smoke.”
Communities Reclaiming Their Rights – Building Power Through Data
This is why training organised by the Life After Coal campaign is so vital. For residents, it was more than a workshop — it was a step toward reclaiming their constitutional right to clean air, despite government exemptions that let Eskom bypass emissions standards.
“As activists, we’ve been speaking up with no response,” says Mokoka. “Now we will have proof and evidence to hold polluters accountable and push for a healthier environment.”
The workshop also trained residents to monitor air quality using Air Beam devices, giving them independent, real-time pollution data. For the first time, communities can present their own evidence to municipalities, regulators, and courts.
“Monitors will be rolled out to key areas where activists are based,” explains Thabo Sibeko of Earthlife Africa. “This will help us build a stronger case for cleaner, healthier air.”
Such grassroots monitoring has already made history: in 2022, the #DeadlyAir judgment ruled that government’s failure to improve Highveld air quality violated constitutional rights. Lephalale’s efforts could drive similar action.
From Local Struggles to Global Justice
Lephalale’s story is part of South Africa’s wider struggle: coal dependency continues to harm health, water, ecosystems, and livelihoods. Fence-line communities like those in the Waterberg carry the heaviest burdens, but their resistance fuels the fight for climate justice and a just energy transition.
The Waterberg Air Quality and Health Workshop was just a first step, but it showed how science, law, and community action can combine to challenge polluters.
The message from Lephalale is clear: Clean air is not a privilege. It is a constitutional right.
Life After Coal (Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle) is a collaborative campaign by Earthlife Africa, groundWork, and the Centre for Environmental Rights to end fossil fuel expansion, phase out coal, and drive a just transition to clean energy.
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