By Viola May

The national air quality officer reported that in 2023 Gauteng recorded a mere 100 days of clean air.

Meanwhile, neighbours in Mpumalanga, home to a whopping 12 coal-fired power plants, managed to obtain a slightly better score with 150 to 200 clean air days.

Professor at the North West University’s Environmental Sciences Unit, Roelof Burger says the report illustrates a decline in air quality for at least 50% of the country’s population, which poses a huge health risk.

“When we look at the impact of air pollution on health you will find that it is the highest environmental risk factor. So, of all the things in the world that’s trying to kill you, the one that you don’t have control over in the environment, air quality is number one. And our estimates are that it is in the order of four to five percent of Gross Domestic Product, the cost to the economy, which is almost double the size of the agricultural sector.”

--SABC--