The use of domestic solid fuel, such as wood, animal dung, coal and charcoal, is common in
low-income settlements in South Africa. Domestic solid fuel is commonly used in South Africa
due to its affordability and availability. The use of domestic solid fuel contributes to indoor
and ambient air pollution which may cause severe health consequences. Although access to
electricity has increased in recent years and several government measures have been
implemented to encourage low-income households to switch from solid fuel to cleaner fuel,
South Africans still rely on domestic solid fuel to meet their primary domestic energy needs.
The study aimed at assessing energy sources utilised by households in Ermelo, Mpumalanga,
South Africa thus understanding factors influencing these energy preferences. The assessment
focused on households’ demographics, different energy sources, and factors influencing energy
preferences and use as well as knowledge of residents on health risks associated with domestic
solid fuel use. A semi-structured questionnaire consisting of both closed and open-ended
questions was used to gain a thorough understanding of solid fuel utilisation and determinants
of solid fuel use in this area. The data were qualitative and quantitative (nominal and
categorical). Frequency tables and graphs were generated to summarise the data and cross tabulation was done using the SPSS Statistics version 25. For cross-tabulation, the Chi-square
(χ2
) test was used to measure the degree of association between two categorical variables.
The study revealed that electricity, firewood and coal are the main sources of fuel used in
Ermelo accounting for 59.1% and 36.9% respectively. Socio-economic factors such as level of
education, number of employed household members, household size, household income,
occupation, type of house and money spent on energy were found to be the main determinants
of domestic solid fuel use and were for the selection of a single or multiple energy use at
household level, while age of household heads, gender of household heads, marital status, type
of food and number of children under five years old were found not to be the determinants of domestic solid fuel use. Out of 198 households participated in the study, 164 had access to
electricity. Although most of the households have access to electricity, solid fuels are still used
for domestic purposes and its use has not completely stopped. In addition, it was found that
75% of households in Ermelo do not know the negative impacts of domestic solid fuel use on
their health and 25% have knowledge of the negative impacts of domestic solid fuel use on
their health. Moreover, 54% of households were found to have no knowledge of negative
impacts of domestic solid fuel use on their environment and 46% of households have
knowledge of negative impacts of domestic solid fuel use on their environment. The study
found that 87% of the households are of the opinion that the local municipality is not doing enough to assist households with the use of solid fuel in a cleaner manner and assisting
households with efficient stoves that release less emissions.
It is recommended that Msukaligwa local municipality should also intensify education and
awareness-raising throughout the Ermelo area since the study revealed that 75% of households
in Ermelo do not know the negative impacts of domestic solid fuel use on their health, while
54% of households were found to have no knowledge of negative impacts of domestic solid
fuel use on their environment. Electrified households in Ermelo continue to use solid fuel for
domestic purposes because it is easily accessible and affordable. Therefore, if a clean fuel
option is implemented to replace domestic solid fuel in low-income settlements, it must be
efficient when combusted and it must reduce emissions and consumption. Policymakers should
promote economic development in low-income settlements so that members of households in
those settlements can find better employment, thus enabling them to afford electricity.
Ukusetshenziswa kokokubasa okuqinile kwasekhaya, okunjengokhuni, ubulongwe bezilwane,
amalahle namalahle okhuni, kuvamile ezindaweni zokuhlala abantu abahola kancane
eNingizimu Afrika ngenxa yokwazi ukukukhokhela nokutholakala kwako. Ukusetshenziswa
kokokubasa okuqinile kwasekhaya kunomthelela ekungcolisweni komoya endlini
nasendaweni. Ukungcola komoya kungahle kube nemiphumela emibi kwezempilo. Yize
ukutholakala kukagesi kukhuphukile eminyakeni yamuva nje futhi sekuqaliswe nezinyathelo
eziningana zikahulumeni zokukhuthaza amakhaya ahola kancane ukuthi ayeke ukusebenzisa
okokubasa okuqinile aye kokokubasa okuhlanzekile, abantu baseNingizimu Afrika
basathembele kokokubasa oqinile kwasekhaya ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zabo eziyinhloko
zasekhaya. Ucwaningo bekuhloswe ngalo ukuhlola izinto ezinomthelela ekusetshenzisweni
kokokubasa kwasekhaya okuqinile e-Ermelo, eMpumalanga, eNingizimu Afrika. Ukuhlola
kugxile nokuphathelene nesimo sabantu emakhaya. Uhlu lwemibuzo lwezingxoxo ezihleleke
kancane olunemibuzo emibili evaliwe nevulelekile lusetshenziselwe ukuthola ukuqonda
okuphelele kokusetshenziswa kokokubasa okuqinile kanye nezimpawu zokusetshenziswa
kokokubasa okuqinile kule ndawo. Imininingwane ikakhulukazi iqoqiwe futhi yahlaziywa
(ngokuqokwa nangokwezigaba). Imvamisa yohlu yenziwe ukufingqa imininingwane futhi
nohlu lokubala okuphambene lwenziwa kusetshenziswa Iphakethe le-software elisetshenziswe
ekuhlaziyeni kwezibalo zemininingwane (SPSS), inguqulo 25. Ngokubala okuphambene,
isivivinyo se-Chi-square (χ2) sasetshenziswa ukulinganisa izinga lokuhlangana phakathi
kokuguquguqukayo kwezigaba ezimbili.
Ucwaningo luveze ukuthi ugesi, izinkuni zokubasa namalahle yizona zinto zokokubasa
ezisetshenziswa kakhulu e-Ermelo. Izici zezenhlalo nezomnotho, ezinjengezinga lemfundo,
inani lamalungu omndeni asebenzayo, ubukhulu bendlu, imali engenayo yasendlini,
umsebenzi, uhlobo lwendlu nemali esetshenziselwe amandla, kutholakale ukuthi yizona zimpawu ezisemqoka ekusetshenzisweni kokokubasa okuqinile kwasekhaya Yize imindeni
eminingi inamandla kagesi, okokubasa okuqinile kusasetshenziselwa izinjongo zasekhaya
futhi akusetshenziswanga ngokuphelele. Ucwaningo luqhubeke lwembula ukuthi akuzona
zonke izici zezimpawu ezisemqoka ekusetshenzisweni kwamandla kule mizi. Ngaphezu
kwalokho, kwatholakala ukuthi amalungu emindeni awanalo ulwazi ngomthelela ongemuhle
wokusetshenziswa kokokubasa okuqinile ezempilweni zabo kanye nendawo ebazungezile.
Okokugcina, amalungu emindeni anombono wokuthi umasipala wendawo akenzi lutho
ukuwasiza ekwehliseni ukusetshenziswa kokokubasa okuqinile Kuphakanyiswa ukuthi uMasipala Wendawo uMsukaligwa, kanye nabanye ababambiqhaza,
bamukele amasu abhekane nobuphofu bamandla, azokhuthaza ukuphathwa kwemvelo
nokusimama komasipala futhi kunciphise nomthelela wokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu.
Umasipala wendawo kufanele futhi uqinise ezemfundo nokuqwashisa endaweni yonke yase Ermelo njengoba imfundo ingaholela ekuguqulweni kwesimo sengqondo nokuziphatha
kwabantu. Imindeni efakelwe ugesi e-Ermelo iyaqhubeka nokusebenzisa okokubasa okuqinile
ukufeza izinjongo zasekhaya ngenxa yokuthi iyakwazi ukukukhokhela. Ngakho-ke, uma
ukukhetha kokokubasa okuhlanzekile kusetshenziswa ukufaka esikhundleni sokokubasa
okuqinile kwasekhaya emakhaya ahola kancane, kufanele bakwazi ukukukhokhela futhi
kutholakale kalula endaweni. Abenzi bezinqubomgomo kufanele bakhuthaze ukuthuthukiswa
komnotho ezindaweni ezinabantu abahola kancane ukuze amalungu emizi kulezo zindawo
athole imisebenzi engcono, okwenza ukuthi akwazi ukukhokhela ugesi.
Kusetjentiswa kwemafutsa lacinile, njengetinkhuni, bulongo betilwane, emalahle kanye
neshakholi, kuvamile etindzaweni tekuhlala letihola kancane eNingizimu Afrika ngenca
yekutsengeka kwawo kanye nekutfolakala. Kusetjentiswa kwemafutsa lacinile emakhaya
kwengeta ekungcoleni kwemoya ngekhatsi endlini nasesibakabhakeni. Ukungcola kwemoya
kungaba nemitselela lemibi kakhulu empilweni yemuntfu. Nanobe kufinyeleleka kugezi
kukhule kakhulu kuleminyaka futsi kusetjentiswe tindlela tahulumende letinyentana
kugcugcutela emakhaya lahola kancane kwekutsi ayekele kusebentisa emafutsa lacinile
kodvwa bantfu labanyenti eNingizimu Afrika basatsembele kumafutsa lacinile kuhlangabetana
netidzingo tabo tasekhaya letisisekelo. Lesifundvo besihlose kuhlola timbangela letibangela
kusetjentiswa kwemafutsa lacinile e-Ermelo, eMpumalanga, eNingizimu Afrika. Loluhlolo
belubuke linani lebantfu emakhaya. Luhlamibuto lolungakahleleki ngalokuphelele lolucuketse
imibuto yemphendvulo yinye kanye netimphendvulo letinyenti lusetjentisiwe kute kutfolwe
kuvisisa ngalokuphelele kwekusetjentiswa kwemafutsa lacinile kanye netimbangela
tekusetjentiswa kwemafutsa lacinile kulendzawo. Imininingwane beyingekwebunyenti
kakhulu (ngekukhetsa nangekwetigaba). Kudvwetjwe imenyu yekuvama kute kuncishiswe
lomniningwane futsi kwakhiwa nelithebula leliphambene ngekusebentisa i-Statistical Package
for the Social Sciences (SPSS), umbhalo 25. Kulithebula leliphambene, kusetjentiswe
sivivinyo se- Chi-square (χ2) kulinganisa lizinga lekuhlangana phakatsi kwetigaba
letigucukako letimbili.
Lesifundvo sikhombise kwekutsi igezi, tinkhuni kanye nemalahle ngemafutsi lasetjentiswa
kakhulu e-Ermelo. Timbangela tetenhlalo netemnotfo, njengemazinga emfundvo, linani
lemalunga lasebentako ekhaya, bukhulu belikhaya, umholo welikhaya, umsebenti, luhlobo
lwendlu kanye nemali lesetjentiswa kumbani, kutfolwe kwekutsi ngito timbangela letinkhulu tekusetjentiswa kwemafutsa lacinile. Nanobe emakhaya lamanyenti atfola igezi, emafutsa
lacinile asasetjentiswa emakhaya futsi asengakayekelwa ngalokuphelele. Lesifundvo sibuye
sakhombisa kwekutsi akusito tonkhe timbangela letitinkhomba letiphambili tekusetjentiswa
kwembani kulamakhaya. Ngetulu kwaloko, kutfolwe kwekutsi emalunga emakhaya akanalo
lwati lwemtselela lomubi wekusetjentiswa kwemafutsa lacinile etimphilweni tabo
nasemvelweni yendzawo. Kwekugcina, emalunga emakhaya anembono kwekutsi masipalati
wendzawo kute lakwentako kubasita ekunciphiseni kusetjentiswa kwemafutsa lacinile.
Kunconotwa kwekutsi iMsukaligwa Local Municipality, sikanye nalabanye babambimsuka,
bemukele emasu ekubukana nebuphuya bembani, lekatawuphindze agcugcutele kuphatfwa kwemvelo kanye nekusimama kwamasipala nekunciphisa umtselela wekugucuka kwesimo
selitulu. Masipalati wendzawo kumele aphindze acinise kufundzisa kanye nekwatisa kuyo
yonkhe indzawo yase-Ermelo njengobe kufundzisa kungaholela ekugucukeni kwetimilo
nekutiphatsa kwebantfu. Emakhaya lanagezi e-Ermelo ayachubeka ngekusebentisa emafutsa
lacinile emakhaya awo ngesizatfu sekutsengeka kwawo. Ngako-ke, nanabga indlela yemafutsa
lahlobile isetjentiswa kuva emafutsa lacinile asemakhaya kumakhaya lahola kancane, kumele
atsengeke futsi atfolakale malula kulendzawo. Badvwebi betinchubomgomo kumele
bagcugcutele kutfutfukiswa kwemnotfo etindzaweni tekuhlala letihola kancane kute kutsi
emalunga emakhaya kuletindzawo akhone kutfola umsebenti loncono, kute kutsi bakhone
kutsenga igezi.
