Residents of Sekgosese village outside Botlokwa in Limpopo are concerned about a peatland that has been burning for over two months. An expert says the source could be a wetland beneath in which organic matter has accumulated over many years, turning to coal-like material.
The peatland was discovered less than a kilometre from Sekgosese. The local community is calling on the government to assess the area as residents fear that the smoke from the peatland could compromise their health.
Residents Sibongile Baloyi and Rachel Raseala claim the peatland is spreading: “What is happening here is scary, I’ve never seen it before ever since I was born, how can the soil start burning out of nowhere? We are scared for our lives, every day when we wake up, we wonder what would be happening on this land. It is burning because you see the smoke coming out from the ground. The community is sleepless.”
Another resident Thabiso Manaka says they fear for their lives: “Residents don’t know what is happening, some are saying it’s a volcano, some are saying it’s chemical while some are saying it’s just coal. We are grateful that the scientists collected the samples because when we look at this place, we don’t know what will happen after six months or a year.”
Residents say they are unsure how the smoke will affect them in the long run.
Report by Avhapfani Munyai
