Radiation exposed workers want compensation
The full audio feature is in IsiZulu.
Mabutho Ngcobo: IPhelindaba okuyigama lendawo kanye nesikhungo sezobuchwepheshe bezenunzi kanye namakhemikheli esesaziwa ngele Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA) yaqala ukwakhiwa ngeminyaka yawo 1960 ngenhloso yokuthi kucwaningwe ngezobuchwepheshe benunzi namakhemikheli okwakuzosetshenziswa ekuthuthukiseni ezokwelapha kuleli. Kuthe kamuva maphakathi neminyaka yawo 1970, lowo owabe ephethe izintambo zombuso umongameli BJ Vorster wathi lendawo mayisetshenziswe ngokuthi kwakhiwe izikhali zembumbiso ukulwisana nalabo ababemelene nohulumeni wamaNeshinale.
Kuthe ngo 1999 uhulumeni wabe eseyiguqula eseyenza indawo lapho kwenziwa khona ubuchwepheshe benunzi bokwenza amandla kagesi ophephile nobiza kancane. Kunamakhulukhulu abantu ababesebenza kulendawo ngezikhathi zombuso wobandlululo okumanje babangwa nezibi nokukholakala ukuthi baguliswa amakhemikheli anobuthi obuyingozi ngesikhathi besebenza kuyona lenkampani.
UMn Patrick Msimango oliqhamukisa kwelaseFreyistata, eNtabazwe, uthi naye ungomunye wabasebenza kulendawo. Nakuba engakhulile kangako, kodwa usehamba ngezinduku kanti uyashesha ukukhathala uma ekhuluma. Uthi namhlanje uzithola esengumuntu obuthaka kodwa uthi akaqondi ukuthi kufa kuni lokhu okumphethe.
Phalane Mashile: Angeke ngazi ukuthi kwenzekalani ngoba kuthe nje ezinyangeni ezimbalwa emva kokuthi nginikwe ipackage ngazithola sengingumuntu ogulayo. Angeke ngazi ukuthi ngiguliswa yini ngoba nasesibhedlela abangitsheli. Ngesikhathi sishiya kulenkampani sanikezwa amapackage emva kweminyaka eyishumi banginikeza u27 000. Engikufanayo ukuthi banginike imali yami ngondle abantwana bami.
Mabutho Ngcobo: Khonamanjalo inhlangano iEarthlife Africa egqugquzela ukuphepha kwabantu kanye nokuvikelwa kwemvelo iphansi phezulu izama ukusiza laba bantu ababengabasebenzi baseNecsa. UMn Phalane Mashile okhulumela lenhlangano uthi kumele iNecsa isolwe ngoba yayekelela lababantu ukuba basebenze ngaphansi kwezimo ezingagculisi nezaholela ukuba bahogele ubuthi obuyingozi obadala lokhu kugula kwabo. Uthi ngisho namanje isimo sokuphepha kwabasebenza kulenkampani kasikho ezingeni.
Phalane Mashile: In their annual report it shows that they have more than 12 incidents {of radiation} per year in this company . What’s happening here {is that} they never reduce their radiation. They still have the highest radiation limits in South Africa.
Mabutho Ngcobo: Imizamo yokuthola ukuphawula kwabenkampani iNecsa yehlulekile. Kunalokhu lenkampani ikhiphe isitatimende lapho ithi ukuphepha kwabasebenzi bayo kusezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu emhlabeni .
Lenkampani iphinde yagxeka abe Earthlife Africa ngokunqaba ukusebenzisana nabo ekutholeni udokotela ozohlola ukuthi ngabe lababantu baguliswa yiwo yini amakhemikheli abawahogela ngesikhathi besebenza kulenkampani. Nokho uMashile uthi akulona iqiniso lokhu okushiwo iNecsa ngoba iyona eyenqaba ukusebenzisana nabo. Uthi lenkampani ayithembikile ngokunjalo nabantu ababesebenza kuyona kabayethembi.
Phalane Mashile: This is a big lie to say we are refusing to work with them, actual the company worker they don’t trust the company. Can you trust your killer? Why all the time they never came forward with this medical thing? Why today? Therefore the workers don’t trust the company to say they will do medical examination.
Mabutho Ngcobo: UMashile uphinde wasola lenkampani ngokunqaba namafayela abasebenzi abasolwa ngukuguliswa ukusebenza kuyona, nokwenza ukuthi kube nzima ukuthola ukuthi ngempela babeguliswa yini. Uthi lawo mafayela alababantu abawathola basola ukuthi lenkampani yenza umgunyathi kuwona.
Phalane Mashile: We still have remaining files from last year. At the same time when you look at some of these files you find out that they have got incomplete and insufficient information, meaning that they tempered with files. It seems as if before they release a file they go inside to check if there is nothing which you can catch them on.
Mabutho Ngcobo: Omunye wabasebenzi abasebenza kulenkampani uMn Masonganye Mabothe yena wasebenza kulenkampani njengomshayeli wecrane. Nakuba ethanda ukungazwakali kahle uma ekhuluma ngenxa yokugula kodwa uthi akwaziyo ukuthi wangena ehamba ngezinyawo zakhe zombili kulenkampani kodwa namuhla usehamba nge wheel chair kanti enjalo nje ukhuluma kanzima.
Masonganye Mabothe: I ‘ve got pains, I cant walk, I can’t see nice, I can’t do anything. This company is no good, it is robbing us.
Mabutho Ngcobo: Unkosikazi ka Mabothe, uMildred uthi lendaba yomyeni wakhe imfikisela usizi nezinyembezi ngoba umyeni wakhe wayephile saka ngesikhathi engena kulenkampani okuthe kamuva wangenwa ukugula abangakuqondi ukuthi kwakudalwa yini.
Mildred Mabothe: Inyawo zakhe bezisishsa zithanda ukuvuvukala. Uma simyisa esibhedlela bathi angeke esalunga ngoba unomlilo ngaphakathi ezinyaweni kungcono balusike. Nakhona emehlweni akasaboni kahle. Njengoba esehamba ngewheel chair ungizwisa ubuhlungu ngoba wabuya engatholanga lutho.
Mabutho Ngcobo: Balinganiswelwa emakhulwini amabili nesishagalombili abantu ngokweEarthlife Africa abasebenza kulenkampani abaguliswa izifo ezifana necancer,asthmer kanye nezinye okukholakala ukuthi kuhlobene namakhemikheli ayingozi abawahogela ngesikhathi besebenza kulendawo.
Oyedwa wabo uye wawashiya anhlamvana nyakenye, kanti kunezinkomba zokuthi kungekudala usazolanda abaningi ozakwabo ayesebenza nabo okumanje abanye babo kuyambulwa kuyembeswa. Naphezu kokuba ukugula kwabaningi kubukeka kungelapheke, kodwa bathi okungenani uma bethole izinxephezulu, bayothi noma sebephumula umphumulela wafuthi baphumule ngokuthula.
Author
Health-e News is South Africa's dedicated health news service and home to OurHealth citizen journalism. Follow us on Twitter @HealtheNews
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Radiation exposed workers want compensation
by Health-e News, Health-e News
February 5, 2007