- Report finds 65% of Vaal residents suffer from headaches, coughing, and fatigue caused by polluted air.
- Over 98% say the government has done nothing to address poor air quality despite legal obligations.
- Clinics face medicine shortages, repeated hospitalizations, and widespread misdiagnosis linked to pollution-related illness.
Communities across the Vaal Triangle are facing the long-term effects of air pollution from nearby industries and coal-fired power stations.
A new report by the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA) and SECTION27 has revealed that residents are experiencing serious health consequences due to poor air quality.
The Vaal Triangle Priority Area Health Impact Report (2025), based on surveys conducted in Zamdela, Power Vaal and Deneysville, found that “over 65% of residents experience headaches, coughing, tiredness or shortness of breath”, while only 14% reported having no symptoms. The report concludes: “Vaal residents are suffering serious health consequences from poor air quality, yet government continues to ignore their calls for action.”
Between 7 and 21 August 2025, the VEJA fieldwork team interviewed 157 residents across the three communities. Most participants were women, and the majority had lived in the Vaal for more than five years. According to the analysis, “those who had been in the Vaal for more than five years reported 2.26 symptoms per participant compared to an average of only one symptom for those who had lived in the Vaal for less than a year.”
A toxic inheritance
The Vaal Triangle was declared an Airshed Priority Area in 2006 under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act due to high levels of pollutants. Yet, despite this declaration and the subsequent Air Quality Management Plan, the report finds that “people living in the Vaal are facing a double-edged sword” of health and socioeconomic hardship.
It states that “residents have a high awareness of poor air quality and its consequences, with many experiencing significant health issues, particularly those who have lived in the Vaal for more than five years.”
Survey results showed that “90% of participants were aware of the health risks associated with poor air quality”, and “83% knew that the Vaal had been classified as a High Priority Area”. However, this awareness has not led to effective action. The report notes: “Despite the severity of the health and environmental challenges, the government's response has been perceived as largely inadequate.”
According to the findings, “92.31% of respondents reported that no government action has been taken to address concerns about air quality”, and “98.72% believe the government is not doing enough”.
The report also refers to the ongoing #CancelCoal case, stating that “the government still defended its plan to add 1 500 megawatts (MW) of new coal-fired electricity generation in a court case now widely known as #CancelCoal,” even though “the court found that the government’s plans were unlawful and invalid as they failed to adequately consider the impact of new coal power on constitutional rights, particularly those of children.”
Health and hardship intertwined
The Vaal Triangle Priority Area Health Impact Report shows that health challenges are made worse by poverty and unemployment. The analysis found that “69% of respondents were unemployed”, and “over 80% of households depend on at least one social grant”.
VEJA’s fieldwork notes that “in the small area of Power Vaal, inadequate waste management and skip bin services, poor infrastructure, and numerous abandoned houses are prevalent, possibly resulting from forced evictions and/or relocations due to poor air quality in the area.”
Healthcare access remains a serious barrier. According to the report, “clinics often lack proper diagnostic machines. This can lead to misdiagnosis or an insufficient diagnosis. As a result, community members may all be diagnosed with the same illnesses, and health facilities lack the same medicines.”
Of those who reported symptoms or respiratory conditions, 86% require medication, but 82% face barriers in accessing it. “The majority (80%) reported that stock shortages at clinics and health facilities were a problem. Another 71% reported experiencing long waiting times, and 49% cited distances to facilities as a barrier they face. Thirty-seven percent reported the price of medicines as a barrier.”
The findings also show that 40% of respondents said someone in their household had been hospitalised due to poor air quality, and “of those who reported yes, 70% had been hospitalised more than once.”
Communities adapt as state fails
The report describes a stark contrast between community resilience and institutional neglect. “A significant 88.39% of residents have made lifestyle changes in response to poor air quality, while only 11.61% have not changed their behavior.” The most common adaptations include “staying indoors and using physical protection.”
Meanwhile, government response remains largely absent. The report concludes: “There is an overwhelming consensus amongst respondents that the government’s response has been inadequate. There is an urgent need for more decisive government intervention, improved access to healthcare, and long-term strategies to address air quality and protect public health in the Vaal region.”
The final paragraph of the report calls for systemic change, stating that these findings “underscore the urgent need for systemic interventions, including better communication, improved access to healthcare, and effective environmental regulation, to protect affected communities from the ongoing impact of air pollution.”
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