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BEWARE: Children walk barefoot on a mine dump at Tudor Shaft informal settlement. An expert said radiation in the area was 15 times more than normal and advised people living in the settlement to move to a safer place.

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These people do not believe that their homes are built on dangerous land because no one in their area, to the best of their knowledge, has died of such hazards yet.

Today, we focus on Tudor Shaft informal settlement, outside Kagiso, on the West Rand.

This is home to about 5,000 people whose shacks are built on radioactive ground with radiation 15 times higher than normal.

The families are sitting on a ticking time bomb.

This is the first in a series of articles Sowetan will run weekly about people living on the edge, risking life and limb.

* To read the stories from the Tudor Shaft informal settlement, click on the headlines displayed as 'related articles'

Sample of what we were told:

"I  know that my shack might sink because there are holes underneath. We have been told we are not supposed to live here but where will we go?"

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness."

"I miss my mother's RDP house back home."

"I saw children playing in soil yellowed by radioactive uranium and other toxic metals.. This can lead to birth defects and brain disorders."

.

Comments

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Fri May 24 14:11:18 SAST 2013 ::

Mar 30, 2012

MsKinkyakaKamaSutra

From the name Tudor Shaft, the place sound dangerous

It boggles my mind, where all these people come from........ (not being insensitive). The issue of f.ree housing will never be solved as people move from rural areas (some have houses) and come to urban areas, construct shacks and expect RDP houses.
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Mar 30, 2012

Papage

We have spoken of Soweto, Diepkloof, Orlando, Noorgesig, Meadolands and Dobsonville, people there are affected by Mine dust every day, come winter, the places are covered in fawn. Minister Shabangu must wake up before we protest by blocking Soweto Freeway
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Mar 30, 2012

shrink7

what are the outcomes of pregnancies there( especially miscarriages and malformations) as this levels of radioactivity can be teratogenic, may this is worth a research proposal.
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Mar 30, 2012

dimpho_4U

o.k sbosh..re tla bona ka wena
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Mar 30, 2012

candilious

WTF ----------
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Mar 30, 2012

Bingo-Ingo

It's just that people in ineptocracies don't want to stand up and do things for themselves. There is the guy by the name of Israel Mosala from Meadowlands who endeavours to create awareness amongst the people affected, but nobody seems to care. Each month around the 15, 16th the Earthlife Society holds monthly meetings at Joubert Park in the Greenhouse but none of the affected communities pitch up. People who attend are from the affluent communities who are not imminently affected by this. None of the political organisations seem to care about it. This AMD, if it goes unabated will result to the caving-in of the entire JHB. Believe it or not it' true. I'm not an alarmaist. Visit http://www.earthlife.org.za/?p=1163

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Mar 30, 2012

CheeseBoy

whats with the font change sowetan??

Any way what makes things worse is the fact that our so called liberators have turned against the very same poor and marginalised souls that voted them into power.

Until the poor and marginalised masses wake from their slumber this will not change. Its a sad story indeed, but a common African tale.

People are collonised, a liberation movement "rescues them " from their chains, the liberation movement promises heaven and earth whilst placing new chains on the poor.

WAKE UP POOR PEOPLE!!!
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Mar 30, 2012

Shredder

@MsKinkyakaKamaSutra
It boggles my mind, where all these people come from........ (not being insensitive). The issue of f.ree housing will never be solved as people move from rural areas (some have houses) and come to urban areas, construct shacks and expect RDP houses.
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These sums up the comments part of this article. Nothing more to be said, nothing to be subtracted. Short and precise.
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Mar 30, 2012

CityGal282

well said @misskenyaka , and they also know the Dangers of staying in this shaft ! wena wa RDP ,go back to your mothers house o tlogele ho re tena mo

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Mar 30, 2012

Tsokombela

i understand the school issue they wrote about earlier,but housing hawa mani,S.A ppl are lazy & want d government 2 everything 4 dem,suka mani
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