Written By: Faith Jemosop
Why you’re constantly tired, coughing, or congested
Sipho Mkhize, a 41-year-old father of two in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, eats clean, drinks only bottled water, and walks to work every morning. Yet, he’s constantly fatigued, plagued by a tight chest, and often wakes up coughing. His children miss school due to recurring flu-like symptoms.
Doctors prescribed antibiotics. Nothing changed.
The culprit? The air they breathe.
eMalahleni, translated as “place of coal,” is South Africa’s coal heartland and also home to some of the most polluted air on the planet. Here, coal-fired power stations, coal mines, and heavy industry blanket the sky with invisible toxins, day and night.
According to Greenpeace and groundwork SA, residents of Mpumalanga inhale some of the highest levels of PM2.5 pollution globally. In fact, one study found that the region often surpasses WHO-recommended safety levels by more than threefold.
The irony is hard to miss: in the very towns that fuel the nation’s electricity, people live in dark clouds of health risk.
What PM2.5 does inside your lungs and bloodstream
Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) refers to microscopic particles released by burning fossil fuels like coal. These particles are small enough to pass through your lungs and enter your bloodstream.
Dr. Nkosinathi Dlamini, a Johannesburg-based pulmonologist, explains:
“PM2.5 is like poison dust. It may be invisible, but it causes visible damage, not just to your lungs, but to your heart, brain, and immune system.”
Once inside your body, PM2.5 triggers chronic inflammation, disrupts oxygen flow, and has been linked to: Asthma, Cardiovascular disease, Stroke, Lung cancer, Premature births and Diabetes
A 2019 report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) estimates that air pollution from Eskom’s coal plants alone causes over 2,200 premature deaths annually in South Africa.
Common symptoms of air pollution exposure
In towns like Kriel, Middelburg, and Secunda, many residents experience the following health symptoms caused by PM2.5:
- Constant fatigue and coughing
- Chronic congestion and chest tightness
- Recurring sinus infections
- Shortness of breath
- Skin rashes
- Poor sleep quality
- Persistent eye irritation
And yet, because these symptoms are common and overlap with colds or allergies, people rarely connect the dots. A common question emerges:
“Why am I always sick even with a healthy lifestyle?”
In coal towns, the answer is often found not in blood tests but in air quality readings.
How polluted air weakens your immune system
Coal pollution doesn’t just irritate, it erodes your body’s natural defences.
According to researchers at Wits University, inhaling polluted air over long periods reduces your body’s ability to fight off infections. For children, it means more sick days and missed development milestones. For adults, it means increased risk of chronic illnesses that no diet or gym routine can fix.
In Mpumalanga alone, public hospitals report higher rates of respiratory illness than the national average. Doctors there often treat symptoms rather than the underlying cause—unfiltered coal pollution.
Tips to protect yourself indoors
While long-term solutions require systemic policy change, here’s how to protect your lungs from polluted air especially indoors:
1. Use air purifiers where possible
Even a basic fan with a HEPA filter can reduce indoor PM2.5 levels.
2. Seal windows during high-pollution hours
Coal dust peaks in the early morning and late evening when temperatures drop.
3. Ventilate with care
If you must open windows, do so after rain or wind natural events that help “clean” the air.
4. Avoid indoor smoke
Switch from coal or paraffin stoves to cleaner alternatives like gas or electric, if available.
5. Plant air-purifying vegetation
Aloe Vera, areca palm, and English ivy can absorb toxins like formaldehyde and benzene but they can’t trap PM2.5 alone.
6. Monitor local air quality
Use the South African Air Quality Information System (SAAQIS) to track your area’s AQI and plan activities accordingly.
Sipho’s story is South Africa’s silent epidemic
Sipho eventually installed an indoor air monitor and was shocked to see PM2.5 levels exceeding 150 µg/m³, six times higher than WHO’s safe threshold. With small changes, weather stripping his windows, adding ventilation filters, and reducing indoor smoke, his symptoms eased.
But outside, the smoke still lingers.
Across South Africa, over 90% of electricity is still generated by coal-fired plants, many of which lack modern emission controls. Meanwhile, affected communities continue to bear the health cost of a fossil-fuelled grid.
The invisible cost of energy
This isn’t just about Eskom, or eMalahleni, or even South Africa. It’s a global lesson: what we burn for power determines not just our climate, but our lifespan.
The question isn’t just “How does bad air affect your health? “it’s “What kind of future are we breathing into existence?”
Also read: 33,000 Lives Could Be Saved Every Year But South Africa Still Chooses Coal
If you’ve ever wondered, “Can air pollution cause fatigue and coughing? “or noticed that your family’s health declines during dry, still winter nights know that you’re not imagining it. You’re living it.
Air pollution is a silent pandemic, and its primary victims are not the emitters but the everyday people who cook, sleep, and raise families in its shadow.
It’s time to rethink our energy priorities not just for the sake of the planet, but for the lungs of our children, the health of our communities, and the hope of clean skies.
