Slovoville tailings pose health risk, department finds elevated lead, zinc and arsenic

Residents living near a mining tailings storage facility in Slovoville, Roodepoort, face potential exposure to hazardous substances, a departmental investigation found, prompting an order for the dump’s owner to produce a rehabilitation plan.

Department finds unsafe metal levels in tailings

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources investigated the site after complaints from nearby communities. The department’s report said leach tests on samples from the tailings showed levels of lead, zinc and arsenic that were “considered unacceptable and way beyond safety levels.” The report warned these substances could pose health risks to surrounding communities.

Location and ownership

The tailings facility sits between Zwaneville, Slovoville and Tshepisong, with the three communities located within about 1 km of the dump. The site crosses the boundaries of Mogale City local municipality and the City of Johannesburg metropolitan municipality.

Entrepreneur Omphemetse Wilson Masilo acquired the tailings and land through a liquidation process in 2008 and operates under Simmer Deep Gold Mining, a company that recovers gold from old mining dumps.

According to a document seen by The Citizen, Simmer Deep Gold Mining was granted a mining right on December 3, 2015, under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act. The document says:

“The right was granted for 30 years to reclaim gold from the tailings. However, the mining right has not been executed because the company has not yet paid the required financial provision.”

Directive issued but residents say enforcement lagged

Following the testing, the department issued a directive requiring Masilo to appoint an accredited specialist within 60 working days to prepare a rehabilitation plan and submit it for approval. The directive requires that, within 30 days of approval, the proposed remediation measures must be implemented. The plan must detail rehabilitation methods, potential impacts, mitigation measures, timeframes and recommendations to remediate affected areas and prevent further pollution.

Community activist Bongumusa Mbatha of Eyesizwe Mining Communities said residents have raised concerns about the tailings since 2009, describing poor maintenance and dusty material they believe contains hazardous metals. Mbatha said:

“We have raised concerns about these tailings that they have been poorly maintained and managed since 2009. We are concerned that the tailings contain hazardous metals and produce dangerous dust that could pose health risks to nearby residents.”

Mbatha also said the 60-day period provided for remedial measures lapsed on 17 July and accused authorities of weak enforcement.

Owner disputes residents’ claims

Masilo disputed the residents’ concerns, saying the dump predates nearby settlements and that occupants are illegal. He told The Citizen:

“The dump was created by South Roodepoort mine. The people residing in its vicinity found the dump there. They are occupying the land illegally.”

Health complaints reported but not independently verified

Residents reported respiratory problems, including asthma and sinus-related conditions; the source notes these health claims have not been independently verified.

What the record shows

• Leach tests recorded elevated lead, zinc and arsenic, described by the departmental report as unacceptable.
• A directive was issued requiring an accredited specialist and a rehabilitation plan with tight implementation deadlines.
• Simmer Deep Gold Mining holds a mining right granted on December 3, 2015, but the right has not been executed due to unpaid financial provision, according to a document seen by The Citizen.

The full departmental report and statements from Mogale City and the City of Johannesburg were not included in the source material.