NUM hits back at Greenpeace study saying people will be left in darkness

SOUTH Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has hit back at comments by Greenpeace that the air in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province was among the most polluted in the world owing to the high concentration of power stations.

The union said that the environmental group was advancing the interests of the rich and did not care about the plight of workers in South Africa.

“If the power stations and coal mines are closed in Mpumalanga, several towns including Witbank, will become ghost downs,” said NUM Highveld secretary, Tshilidzi Mathavha. “If the power stations and mines are shut down, the economy of our country will collapse and the people will be left in darkness.”

Melita Steele, Greenpeace Africa climate and energy campaign manager, said: “It has been reported before that the Witbank area has the world’s dirtiest air, and now this analysis of high-tech satellite data has revealed that Mpumalanga province is the global number one hotspot for NO2 emissions”.