The old mine dumps surrounding Slovo Park in Springs on Gauteng’s East Rand are difficult to miss. Three of the mine dumps rise high behind people’s homes, forming part of the landscape of the small community between Bakerton and Welgedacht.

Residents say dust from the dumps blows into their homes on windy days. But people in Slovo Park and neighbouring areas are also concerned about a strong, unpleasant smell that regularly settles over parts of Springs.

Their concerns come as the City of Ekurhuleni confirms that its Springs air-quality monitoring station is currently not reporting to the South African Air Quality Information System (SAAQIS).

The City says the station last consistently produced reliable, validated data in July 2026. Essential technical maintenance and calibration have not been done because a specialist service provider is required. The City says it is still going through a procurement process to appoint one.

Living next to old mine dumps

Some Slovo Park residents who spoke to Health-e News did not know that the “mountains” they have lived alongside for years are old mine dumps.

Sarah Nkabinde lives close to one of them. When Health-e News visited her home, she was coughing. She says her chest was sore, although she had not been to a clinic and does not know what is causing it.

Although there is no medical evidence linking Nkabinde’s chest problems to dust from the mine dumps, residents say the dust affects their breathing and forces them to close their windows and doors on windy days.

Another resident, Sara Koto, also closes her windows and doors when the dust becomes bad. She does not experience the same health problems as Nkabinde, but says keeping the windows closed is one way of stopping the dust from getting inside her home.

Ekurhuleni’s own Air Quality Management Plan identifies operational and abandoned mine dumps as major sources of dust pollution. The plan specifically identifies mining areas east and south of Springs.

The City says it has not received complaints from Slovo Park residents about dust from the mine dumps. Asked whether an assessment had been conducted to determine the impact of the dust on nearby residential areas, the City responded: “Not known.”

A smell residents cannot escape

Residents in Slovo Park and neighbouring Bakerton also describe a strong smell that comes and goes. Some notice it particularly in the mornings and afternoons, while others say it becomes noticeable when it is very hot or after rain.

Tebogo Mokgoane drives through the area every morning on his way to work. He describes it as an acid or chemical-like smell.

Gugu Mhlambi, who lives in neighbouring Bakerton, describes it differently.

“It smells like sewage,” she says. “Usually it’s in the mornings. You can smell it even inside the house.”

Ward councillor Charmaine Kock says she has not received complaints specifically about mine-dump dust, but has received complaints about air quality from Springs residents more broadly.

Kock, who lives in Petersfield, says she also experiences the smell, which she describes as similar to urine. “You will wake up in the morning with a headache,” she says.

The City says local assessments indicate that odours noticed when easterly winds prevail are primarily associated with organic decomposition and chemical processes in regional wetlands. It says environmental teams are monitoring affected wetlands.

However, a separate pollution episode earlier this year was linked to hydrogen sulphide. In March, the national Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment recorded elevated hydrogen sulphide levels at Springs and other Gauteng monitoring stations. The department said the levels were likely responsible for complaints about a strong sulphurous smell at the time. It said exposure to hydrogen sulphide can irritate the eyes and respiratory system and may cause headaches, nausea and breathing difficulties.

Springs monitoring station not reporting

Kock provided Health-e News with a council motion raising concerns about Ekurhuleni’s faulty air-quality monitoring system and calling for all 10 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations across the municipality to be restored.

These stations measure pollutants in the air, including tiny particles of dust and smoke that can be breathed deep into the lungs, as well as gases released by vehicles and industrial activities.

The City has confirmed that the Springs monitoring station is not currently reporting to the  South African Air Quality Information System (SAAQIS) because essential maintenance and calibration have not been completed. The last consistently reliable data from the station was recorded in July 2026. 

The publicly accessible ⁠Springs air-quality dashboard also displays its last update as 30 July 2026.

The last available readings from 30 July show PM2.5 at 120 and PM10 at 132 on the AQICN scale, both classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups”. Some readings over the preceding two days reached the “unhealthy” range.

According to AQICN’s classifications, the readings recorded in Springs mean air pollution may pose greater risks to people with respiratory conditions, children and older people.

The City says two lower-cost air-quality sensors have been deployed in nearby KwaThema and Daveyton East to help assess regional pollution risks while the Springs station is unavailable.

The City also says industries in the Springs region regulated under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act are subject to ongoing compliance monitoring and currently operate within prescribed minimum emission standards.

City promises to restore monitoring

The City says it does not conduct standalone epidemiological risk studies for individual neighbourhoods such as Slovo Park. Spokesperson Zweli Dlamini says instead, it assesses health risks through broader regional air-quality monitoring.

According to Damini, the City also uses data from its ambient monitoring network together with municipal environmental health practitioners to identify exposure risks.

Dlamini says the City of Ekurhuleni has allocated funding for the maintenance and technical upkeep of its air-quality monitoring network. Procurement is underway to appoint specialist service providers to carry out the calibration needed to restore the Springs station. But Dlamini has not provided a date for when the station will resume reporting.

For Nkabinde, the mine dust remains part of daily life in Slovo Park.

“When it’s dusty, I close the windows and doors because the dust affects my chest,” she says.