Assessment of factors influencing the use of domestic solid fuel in Ermelo, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Abstract

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.