Margaret Mokoka from Hands of Hope addresses participants at the National Priority Area Air Quality Summit in Rustenburg.
On 25 June 2026, Earthlife Africa Johannesburg supported community representatives from Lephalale to participate in the National Priority Area Air Quality Summit in Rustenburg, North-West Province. The summit brought together representatives from government, industry, civil society and affected communities to discuss air quality management in South Africa’s declared priority areas.
Thabo Sibeko, Senior Programmes Officer at Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, said the meaningful participation of affected communities is essential. “It is important that communities are heard. Their lived experiences must be part of decisions about air quality because they are the people affected by poor air quality every day.”
For communities in Lephalale, these discussions are both urgent and deeply personal. Situated in Limpopo’s Waterberg region, the area is surrounded by coal-fired power stations and coal mines. Residents continue to live with the daily impacts of polluted air, water and land – impacts that affect their health, livelihoods and the environment.
Margaret Mokoka from Hands of Hope in Lephalale reminded government officials and industry representatives that clean air is not a privilege – it is a fundamental human and environmental right. Speaking on behalf of communities living with pollution from coal mining and coal-fired power stations, she called for urgent action to protect people’s health, dignity and the environment.
She says, “Clean air is a basic human right, not a privilege. We must work together to reduce pollution, protect our environment and ensure healthy communities for present and future generations. Most days in Lephalale, our communities breathe air filled with harmful ash from the power stations. It is not fair that we have to suffer like this. South Africa’s energy generation is slowly killing so many people. This is why we advocate for clean air – because we want better health for our people, environmental justice and a sustainable future for all. Every action counts – let us raise our voices and demand cleaner air for everyone.”
Margaret Mokoka addressing the panel and participants on the lived experiences in the Lephalale area in terms of air quality issues.
Earthlife Africa Johannesburg hopes that government will take a more holistic approach to collective accountability for clean air. For communities living with the consequences of South Africa’s current energy choices, clean air cannot remain only a summit theme or a policy aspiration. It must be reflected in decisions that protect people from harmful pollution, reduce dependence on energy sources that undermine health, and support a just transition to cleaner, safer alternatives.
Earthlife Africa Johannesburg stands in solidarity with Lephalale communities in calling for greater accountability, stronger enforcement of air quality laws, and a just transition that does not leave frontline communities behind. Clean air is a constitutional right – and communities must be at the centre of decisions that affect their health, environment and future.
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