WATCH: Richards Bay residents demand action over worsening coal dust pollution
Updated Aug. 6, 2026, 5:23 p.m. | By Kubobonke Luthuli The Concerned Residents Civic Association says the movement of coal trucks through parts of Richards…
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Updated Aug. 6, 2026, 5:23 p.m. | By Kubobonke Luthuli
The Concerned Residents Civic Association says the movement of coal trucks through parts of Richards Bay poses a risk to public health, damages property, and harms the environment.
Worsening coal dust pollution in Richards Bay is posing a serious risk to public health and the environment and requires urgent action.
That is according to local residents, who say the problem has escalated in the last few years.
The Concerned Residents Civic Association claims the number of coal trucks travelling through the city has increased dramatically.
The association's Jean Gerber says buildings have been damaged by coal dust, leading to costly clean-ups by businesses and worsening respiratory issues for residents.
"I can see the wildlife suffering, plants and animals suffering under this challenge,” says Gerber.
You're not always sure what colour flower you're looking at and that black, dust cloud is settling over everything and on anything" - Jean Gerber
"I've just recently moved the business into Alton. It started off as a joke where my colleagues and I were taking wet wipes and wiping our faces. We did it again two hours later, and it's black. Your face is black within two hours, and that's from sitting inside your office," says Gerber.
Gerber says residents have seen little improvement since the closure of one port access gate, which he says followed community complaints.
He has called on coal trucks to be removed from residential areas.
"This means that the sudden increase in stockpiles of coal appearing everywhere in Alton will have to be stopped.
"Which means at the end of the day, the only solution to this problem is that the railway starts operating the way it used to work, and that will eliminate all of the issues."
The issue is expected to feature prominently at the association's fifth public meeting in Richards Bay on Saturday, where residents will discuss possible solutions and further action to this and other issues.
Newswatch has reached out to the uMhlathuze Municipality for comment.
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