Author: Njih Favour
Phola, a community situated near Eskom’s Kendal power station, has long been exposed to the health risks associated with coal pollution. (Photo: Thom Pierce/Spotlight) News & Features 18th August 2025 | Sue Segar Despite a landmark court judgment three years ago that upheld the right to clean air, air pollution remains rife in South Africa’s coal country. For part 2 of this Spotlight special series, journalist Sue Segar and photographer Thom Pierce travelled to meet some of the activists on the ground in Mpumalanga. About a decade ago, whilst playing football with his friends in the community of Phola in…
When Simamkele Selem was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism in January 2024, at the age of 21, she knew nothing about the condition. What followed was something that she never expected. She needed assistance with daily tasks because of muscle weakness caused by long-term hospitalisation and oxygen use. There were multiple follow-up appointments with cardiologists, a series of tests, a heart attack, surgery and physiotherapy for recovery. Selem was also exhausted from having to travel from East London to Cape Town for treatment. Today, Selem is raising awareness about the life-threatening condition. “Coming from a small town called Alice in the…
When 21-year-old Simamkele Selem from Alice in the Eastern Cape, started feeling dizzy, breathless, and coughing blood, she had no idea her life was about to change. After much persuasion, she was finally admitted to Life St. Dominic’s Hospital in East London, where she was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism – a life threatening condition where a blood clot travels to the lungs and blocks blood flow. This stops oxygen-rich blood from reaching the brain and other vital organs. After emergency care, a heart attack, and a major open-chest surgery in Cape Town, Simamkele is now on a steady path to…
This project is funded by: Noxolo Mthembu (68) and her family of 12 have been living in a make-shift shack in Inchanga, north of Durban, since they lost their home during the 2022 floods. The family, which includes nine children aged between four and 17, lost all of their belongings, including identity documents and clinic cards. As a result, they have been living without access to basic health and social services. “I have 9 children that I live with. I wish they were getting grants, but they don’t have birth certificates,” says Mthembu. “I’ve struggled a lot with all of…
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi announced that National Treasury has allocated funds to offset the impact of US funding withdrawals. (Photo: Kopano Tlape/GCIS) News & Features 14th August 2025 | Jesse Copelyn In response to US funding cuts for South African health services and research projects, National Treasury has provided the National Department of Health with hundreds of millions of rands in emergency funds. Spotlight and GroundUp look at how precisely the government intends to spend this money. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi recently announced that National Treasury had released roughly R753 million to help plug the gap left by…
This project is funded by: For 15 years, residents of Mahonisi Waterval village in Elim, in Limpopo’s Vhembe District Municipality, have been living with the harsh reality of sewage leaks in their neighbourhood. Rhulani Chavalala, a community leader and member of the African People’s Convention (APC), speaks about the long-standing issue. “Since 2009, this sewage has not been repaired. Councillors have come in and changed, but no one cares about the sewage,” he says. According to Chavalala, some residents have been writing letters for over a decade, but “the municipality has not helped, and the residents have not received any…
Karen Mara Moss with a group of children from a dance group during an awareness campaign. With them, back right, is Mpumelelo Mhlongo, a Paralympic Champion in sprinting and long-jump, who was born with clubfoot. (Photo: Supplied) News & Features 13th August 2025 | Sue Segar When Karen Mara Moss’ son was diagnosed with clubfoot, she travelled to the US in search of a life-changing treatment. She made a promise to bring it home and two decades on, her non-profit is at the heart of a remarkable success story. “I looked at those tiny feet. They were turned over and…
Patients at the government-run Free State Psychiatric Complex in Mangaung have been without care since Friday after hospital staff went on strike. Nurses, ancillary and laundry workers accuse the government of cheating them by shortpaying, not paying for overtime and failing to convert some workers’ contracts into permanent positions, as they were promised. Eric Mothae, a nurse, says that the facility’s management is flouting labour practice, warning that “the complex’s hospitals might be closed since there is no basic occupational safety practice”. “We are witnessing other health facilities being closed down by the labour department throughout the province due to…
Residents in at least three provinces say they have been coerced into doing HIV testing at various government health facilities. People Health-e News spoke with in the Free State, North West, and Gauteng say the testing is done without counselling before or after. It is further alleged that in some of the clinics, an HIV test is a prerequisite for receiving any health services. Most of the healthcare users spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being refused medical treatment in future. Many say they are not opposed to being tested for HIV, but took issue with not being…
Rows of home-made coal left out to dry in the sun are a common feature in Tsakane’s Extension 10 in Ekurhuleni. The roughly 500 families were relocated from areas such as Germiston and Benoni in 2005, but the area was never connected to the electricity grid. Ismael Mahlangu (56) was one of the first residents to settle in Extension 10. The father of three explains how circumstances forced him and his neighbours to come up with alternative means for cooking and keeping warm during Johannesburg’s harsh winters. “Coal is expensive, so we taught ourselves to make our own using duff,…