Deputy Environment Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi has read the riot act to polluting industries that profit at the expense of people's health.

Mabudafhasi, who personally delivered a R60-million toxic chemical clean-up directive to Thor Chemicals' lawyers earlier this week, spent most of Thursday driving around South Durban speaking to poor communities and industry chiefs.

In Merebank, she threatened to "shame" polluting industries nationally and internationally if they failed to clean up.

"We are tired of talking. The time has come to implement new pollution reduction plans and I am going to clamp down on all industries around the country, not just in South Durban," she said.

Families have to keep nebulisers and oxygen tanks in their homes

In the Jacobs industrial area, next to Hosaf Fibres and Industrial Oleochemical Products, she met residents of the Hime Street flats who complained of choking on industrial fumes and black soot coating curtains, walls and laundry.

In Merebank, a residential area sandwiched between Sapref and Engen oil refineries and the Mondi paper mill, the minister and senior government officials met mothers and young children who keep nebulisers and oxygen tanks in their homes to relieve asthma attacks and respiratory illness.

Later, at a finger-lunch in the boardroom of Shell and BP's (Sapref) fuel refinery, the minister was more restrained and encouraged local industries to "go further" for the sake of the people living next to them.

Sapref chief Richard Parkes said the refinery had spent at least R350-million in recent months to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions.

At the Mondi paper mill, Mabudafhasi asked general manager John Barton to explain what his company was doing to reduce its air pollution levels.

'Ministers have visited us before but nothing has been done'

Barton complained that the company's efforts to build a R200-million boiler had been blocked for 21 months by "bureaucracy" and "isolated extremists and mistaken press articles" which threatened the economic growth of the province.

Some from the local communities are currently challenging the KwaZulu-Natal government's authorisation of the Mondi boiler, claiming it will exacerbate, rather than reduce, air pollution from the mill.

Mabudafhasi told Barton the government fully supported economic growth, but not growth which harmed people's health.

Government air quality director Reginald Mabalane said he was "quite disappointed" to arrive at Mondi and discover an apparent lack of a comprehensive strategy to reduce air pollution aside from its multifuel boiler proposal.

Selva Mudalay, the acting health co-ordinator for the eThekwini municipality and the Durban air quality programme manager, said Mondi had to provide detailed pollution reduction plans.

Hime Street resident Mary Hutchinson said she was happy to see the minister. "But ministers have visited us before (and) nothing has been done."

• This article was originally published on page 2 of The Mercury on 14 March 2003