This project follows the photographer’s journey through coal towns in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Hundreds of thousands of people work in the coal industry, but they face an uncertain future as South Africa is pressured to close the coal-fired power stations that provide most of the electricity in the country. A green transition is encouraged by the international community, and the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan – funded primarily by the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union – has pledged about US$8.5 billion to South Africa for phasing out these power stations. However, it is estimated that about US$250 billion is needed over the next decades to finance South Africa’s transition from coal, according to a report by Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Coal Communities in Mpumalanga Province amid South Africa’s ‘Green Transition’
A documentation of coal towns in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Hundreds of thousands of people work in the coal industry and they face an uncertain future. The international community is putting pressure on South Africa to close their fleet of aging coal-fired plants, which provides most of the electricity in the country. The Just Energy Transition Investment Plan, primarily funded by France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, has pledged about US$8.5 billion to South Africa for phasing out these power stations but it’s estimated that about US$250 billion (almost R4-trillion) is needed the next decades to finance South Africa’s transition from coal, according to a report by Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Hundreds of thousands of people work I (and many more dependents) in the coal industry in Mpumalanga Province alone and it’s uncertain how they will be re-trained or get new jobs, many who has no advanced skills. There are about 130 active coal mines (collieries) in Mpumalanga and about 600 closed ones, and the pollution is some of the worst in the world according to a recent report by Greenpeace. Many people suffer from health problems such as asthma, cancer and breathing problems. Most mining companies who close mines don’t rehabilitate them, and mine dust is a big problem around the province. Many of the closed mines are used illegally by artisanal miner to make a living. South Africans and legal and illegal immigrants for nearby countries compete for the work.
Despite coal being phased out in the western world, it’s still being used, and it’s growing a lot in countries such as India and China. Recently, The US government has walked away from the Paris agreement and cut the promised funds to the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan. As a result, effective immediately, the USA has announced the termination of its membership of the International Partners Group (IPG) for JETPs South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam. With the USA withdrawal, associated financial pledges are also withdrawn. Grant projects that were previously funded and in planning and implementation phases has been cancelled. Coal usage and exports are still high, and even though the price for coal has decreased a lot since the high of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it’s still a big moneymaker for coal companies and important tax revenue for the government.
