Posted on May 24, 2017
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is proud to sponsor an upcoming march in Swaziland against the reopening of a notorious asbestos mine.
UK-based activist David Muchingami of the Zimbabwe Asbestos Disease Awareness Foundation says two-day march beginning June 3 is meant to protest the mine’s reopening, discourage people from seeking employment if and when it does open, and spread asbestos safety and prevention awareness.
Below, David discuss the aims of the march, the background of the asbestos issue in Swaziland, and his role as an activist.
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My name is David Muchingami. I was born in Zimbabwe where I completed high school. Immediately after, I left Zimbabwe for the United Kingdom to further my education. I studied International Relations at London Metropolitan University. I subsequently married and had children, and as a result settled in the United Kingdom.
Growing up in my native Zimbabwe, I had several relatives who worked and lived at the Shabani Asbestos Mine. The many years of exposure to asbestos eventually took its toll. They all suffered horrific and painful deaths like many others before them. Back then, people in my village who had no information about the dangers of asbestos only referred it the illness as an illness of the mines as there was no information available to the general public. Turner and Newal kept their findings private on the dangers of asbestos.
It took me a few years of reading every bit of information I could find on asbestos. I vowed to dedicate my life in spreading awareness and help the efforts towards the push for total global ban on asbestos and asbestos products. The opening of the Haverlock mine in Swaziland is irresponsible. The asbestos mining activities will expose the employees, homes in close proximity to the mine, and all those who will handle the asbestos through out to the last guy at the port.
Mr. Energy Langa, Asbestosis Victim
We at Zimbabwe Asbestos Disease Awareness Foundation aim to undertake a march in protest of the proposed opening of the Havelock Asbestos mine the march will begin on the 3rd of June 2017 at Pigs-Peak to Balembu, where Havelock Asbestos mine is located. Over two days, we are expecting over 600 people to take part in the march. We will be stopping along the way in small villages where we will enlighten villagers on the dangers of asbestos and hand out flyers in their native Swati language.
We hope our efforts with the march will discourage people from seeking employment at the Haverlock Asbestos Mine, and we also hope King Mswati will reconsider and stop the opening of the Haverlock Asbestos Mine. However, we aim to ensure that all citizens of Swaziland are informed about the danger asbestos poses, so we also aim to have leaflets and banners in great numbers to be available in Swati, the local Swaziland language. We aim to have the said leaflets to be made available in schools and other public places — the supply of leaflets must not cease even long after the march. Through an arranged network of dedicated people we will ensure the flyers continues to reach the intended target and keep this information fresh on peoples minds.