TimesLive reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Monday that Greenpeace had been “reckless” when it stated that Mpumalanga has the worst nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution across six continents.  

The union in Highveld said:  “The reckless and impetuous statement is a clear campaign by Greenpeace Africa that the government should close power stations and coal mines in Mpumalanga.”  Greenpeace Africa climate and energy campaign manager Melita Steele indicated:  “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.”  She said it confirmed that SA has “the most polluting cluster of coal-fired power stations in the world‚ which is both disturbing and very scary”.  But the NUM said Greenpeace was advancing the interests of rich people and did not care about poor people and workers.  NUM Highveld secretary Tshilidzi Mathavha noted:  “If the power stations and coal mines are closed in Mpumalanga several towns including Witbank will become ghost towns.  If the power stations and mines are shut down‚ the economy of our country will collapse and the people will be left in darkness.”

• Read the full original report by Nico Gous at TimesLive

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