South Africa expressed concerns over the environmental and health effects of using asbestos, prompting the ban. There are fears of massive job losses in Zimbabwe due to the ban on the use of asbestos in South Africa, which was one of Zimbabwe’s major markets. Revenue generated from asbestos sales had supported in excess of 10 000 workers for decades, and helped keep the troubled economy afloat through foreign currency receipts.
Asbestos, used extensively in developing countries as a roofing material, has since the 1960s been described as extremely dangerous to health and the implications of the ban in South Africa could be catastrophic as the country had been among the major consumers of Zimbabwean products.
South Africa joined more than 50 other countries in the prohibition of chrysotile asbestos arguing that “any person who has ever suffered from exposure to asbestos would see the absolute necessity for the regulations”.
The main objectives of the South African regulations is to prohibit the use, processing or manufacturing of any asbestos or asbestos-containing products unless it can be proved that no suitable alternative exists. The regulations, which were gazetted in 2004, came into force this year and are causing panic among companies in asbestos related industries in Zimbabwe.
These include Shabani and Gaths mines, which support more than 70 000 people, and industrial manufactures and distributors of fibre cement products, Turnall Holdings. An estimated 10 000 workers are employed at the two chrysotile mines and downstream industries, which produce irrigation and water reticulation pipes, brake pads and gaskets. At least US$60 million was being generated from the sale of Zimbabwe’s chrysotile asbestos annually before the South African ban.
Zimbabwe, still smarting from a debilitating decline in tobacco revenue, is gradually losing the battle against the lobby against the production of asbestos. The crusade to ban asbestos has been spearheaded by the European Green Movement, a grouping of environmental enthusiasts who have declared war against the world asbestos industry.
The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) has said the use of asbestos has been on the decline worldwide due to the hazards reportedly associated with the mineral.
“The market in now concentrated in developing countries primarily the Far East, Middle East, India, Sri Lanka and Brazil,” said the MMCZ in its strategic plan for 2005 to 2007.