Perceptions of Community Members at Lugelweni Mt Ayliff on Awareness about the Presence of Copper from Abandoned Mines

Abstract

The study was based on understanding the community's perceptions on the presence of heavy metals in their surroundings. At Lugelweni, Mt Ayliff there are abandoned copper mines located at Intsizwa Mountain which might be a potential source of metal contamination to Lugelweni community. The participants at Lugelweni village in Mount Ayliff were randomly selected and a questionnaire was distributed for assessing their awareness on the presence of the mines. The results showed that the participants do not know exactly when the process of mining started at Lugelweni and most of the participants were living in the area when the mining process was abandoned. Many participants agreed that there is water found at the mining area and do not know if the water is clean or not. About 60 % of the participants do not know if the metals from the mines might be harmful to the environment or not. More than 80 % of participants disagree that the metals leaching from the mines can be found in their agricultural soils. The results are an indication that the community members from Lugelweni Mt Ayliff are aware of the presence of the abandoned mines at Intsizwa Mountain. They are not aware of the effects that the metals from the abandoned mines might have on humans, agricultural soils, water, plants, and animals. There is a need for the South African Department of Environmental Affairs to conduct awareness campaigns in the areas where the abandoned mines are located.