Mining Sickness
The South African vanadium mine poisoning its workers
Vantech produces 20% of the world's vanadium, a mineral used in steel and glass. But it is a poisonous material, and when workers fall sick, they are quickly laid off.
More than half the workers at the Vantech mine have lost their jobs through ill health, mostly asthma and chemical bronchitis. Most were ill-trained and will probably never find another job. It's indicative of the unsafe conditions still faced by South Africa's miners, black and white.
Produced by SABC Special Assignment
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