From Modern Marvel to Environmental Tragedy: Grant for Research into Polluted Mines in Africa
photography: Elif Kırankaya
At one time, the railway from Kimberley to Kambove in Southern Africa symbolised prosperity and progress. Today, the exhausted mining towns along its route are marked by decay and pollution. Professor Jan-Bart Gewald has been awarded an NWO L grant to investigate the long-term global consequences.
‘Kimberley was the largest diamond mine in the world,’ Gewald explains. ‘The British imperialist Cecil Rhodes made an immense fortune there, which spurred him on to a host of ideas. Just as Elon Musk dreams of Mars today, Rhodes envisioned a railway from Cape Town to Cairo. The minerals discovered along the way would be sold for profit.
Rhodes began construction of the railway in 1890. By 1910, the line passed two other major mineral sites: Kabwe, known for lead and zinc, and Kambove, rich in copper. ‘At the time, this was a symbol of wealth and modernity,’ says Gewald. ‘Now, a century later, the mines are exhausted. All that remains are polluted, politically unstable, and culturally devastated areas. According to the World Health Organization, Kabwe is one of the most polluted places on earth. Everyone there has lead poisoning because lead and other heavy metals are exposed, and locals, often unprotected, search for leftover metal scraps in the mines. The same goes for Kimberley. Most of these scavenging miners probably don’t live past forty.’
Beyond human health
The effects of mining extend beyond human health. ‘The first diamonds in Kimberley were found beneath a camelthorn tree, a very specific species that can live for many years. Within fifteen years of that first discovery, all the trees, including the camelthorn, within a 250-kilometre radius had been wiped out. They were used as fuel for steam engines, to reinforce mines, or to make railway sleepers. They were then replaced by eucalyptus and mesquite trees, which have no natural predators and rapidly took over the landscape. This happened 150 years ago, but the impact is still very evident today.’
This historical transformation is at the heart of Gewald's new NWO project. ‘There have already been countless anthropological studies on Southern Africa, and major debates around capital and labour, but very little attention has been paid to the mining industry's consequences for the world at large.’ The three towns along the railway provide a compelling historical case study. Gewald will compare developments across different categories, from geographical changes to the waste produced by the sudden influx of 30,000 people. ‘When they all defecated and it rained, the effects were disastrous.’
What are we seeing?
Part of the research will take place in the Netherlands. ‘Literature and archival research can easily be done in Europe, but we’ll also be holding two workshops at each of the three locations. Accompanied by a geologist, archaeologist, and biologists, we’ll walk 45 minutes from the mines as they describe what they observe. This way, we’ll learn how to read the landscape. Then we’ll repeat the exercise in other directions to see the real-world impact of the mining industry on these regions.’
The findings will lead to two PhD dissertations, a series of articles, and a photography exhibition. ‘Part of the project involves analysing how people react to these photos. Will they recognise what they see? Will it be new to them? What kind of things will they say?’ Gewald explains. ‘I don’t have the illusion that I can tell people what to do, but with plans for deep-sea mining and asteroid mining, it’s important to highlight the long-term consequences of earlier mining activities.’