In places such as Delmas, KwaDela and Phola (a suburb of eMalahleni), families burn coal to survive. Power cuts persist, electricity costs too much and the cold forces difficult decisions.
“We burn coal knowing it harms us … Warmth wins. Health waits,” says Phola resident Sehlako Moela. The haze clings to homes and lungs alike, a daily compromise, even as the consequences mount.
“Coal is everywhere here, easy to get, hard to escape. We light the stove before sunrise. By sunset, the smoke is inside our clothes, our lungs and our lives,” says Thandeka Sibeko, a grandmother caring for three grandchildren.
“We don’t choose coal; we’re cornered by it. Every breath feels borrowed. You warm your home and poison it at the same time,” says Njabulo Mahlangu, who lives in Delmas’s Mandela settlement in Botleng.
For many, coal fires are the only refuge against a punishing winter. Coal costs between R100 and R120 for a 50kg container, and the price is paid in health. These townships also sit in the shadow of Eskom’s 12 coal-fired power stations and Sasol’s Secunda complex, the world’s largest single-point carbon emitter.
“During winter, our clinics in Botleng Extension 1, 3 and 6 see a surge in respiratory cases, especially among children and the elderly ... Coal is cheap, but it fills homes with smoke,” says a senior nurse at Bernice Samuel Hospital. “We’re stretched thin, with only basic supplies to manage coughs, asthma and worse. It’s tough when the cold drives up cases and we’re racing to keep up.”
Greenpeace Africa and the Centre for Research on Energy & Clean Air (Crea) reported in June that 42,000 South Africans died in 2023 because of exposure to fine particle pollution (PM2.5), including about 1,300 children under five. The economic toll? R960bn — 14% of GDP — lost to premature deaths, respiratory illness and overburdened health systems.
In the report, Cynthia Moyo, a climate and energy campaigner, says: “Science is unequivocal. The air South Africans breathe is toxic, and the corporations driving this crisis must no longer be protected by silence or inaction.”
Eskom and Sasol are identified in the report as major polluters, repeatedly seeking exemptions from minimum emission standards. Despite the standards being set in 2015, compliance has been postponed to 2025.
Eskom tells the FM it is “firmly committed to reducing its environmental footprint while ensuring energy security”. The utility says it has reduced particulate matter emissions by about 80% since 1982 and is aiming for a 77% national reduction by 2030. It cites R3bn already invested in emissions reduction, with R15.6bn allocated over the next five years.
However, Eskom acknowledges “a decline in performance across key environmental indicators such as particulate emissions, water usage and incident frequency over the past five years”, attributing this to the broader energy crisis.
Bheki Nxumalo, group executive for generation, says: “We are committed to meeting environmental regulations through continuous monitoring, transparent reporting and proactive plant upgrades.”
Still, Eskom’s data shows particulate matter often exceeds national standards, especially on the highveld. The utility’s ambient air quality monitoring network confirms this, citing multiple sources including veld fires, household fuel use and industry.
Legal experts point to section 24 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to an environment not harmful to health or wellbeing. Yet enforcement remains elusive.
“South Africa’s constitution guarantees the right to a healthy environment, but that right is being violated every day by polluters. Communities deserve clean air, not corporate impunity,” says Jamie Kelly, an air quality analyst at Crea.
The Afrobarometer Round 9 survey reveals that 70% of South Africans see pollution as a serious issue, but only 23% believe the government is addressing it effectively. Nearly half (49%) still prioritise job creation over environmental protection.
“I’m 23, jobless and stuck in KwaDela, burning coal to keep warm … My little sister’s cough won’t stop, and I’m coughing too. I want clean air, but how do you choose that when you’re just trying to survive on R1,500 a month?” says Zanzele Masombuka.
“Coal is cheap here, maybe R120 for a container, but burning it makes my kids sick every winter. We can’t afford electricity all the time,” says Lerato Maseko, an unemployed mother of two.
“I worked in the mines for 15 years … Now my chest feels heavy, and I struggle to breathe. Over half of us in Phola have breathing problems,” says Mpumelelo Mahamba, a former Leeuwpan coal miner.
Families light coal stoves before sunrise, not out of ignorance, but necessity. Their warmth comes at a cost: wheezing lungs, overwhelmed clinics and shortened childhoods.
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