ABSTRACT
This visual essay draws on a 2017 journey from the South African Cape to the Khan valley of Namibia, tracing toxic (deter)mining legacies of roots and routes of mineral extraction. Copper, ilmenite, diamond, zinc and uranium exploitations encounter indigenous presence and resistance as colonial and corporate mineral ‘rushes’ intersect with local realities and cultural landscapes. Environmental mitigation efforts and ‘offsetting’ schemes also leave toxic heritage in their wake as they greenwash profit-driven extractive agendas. Images from sites visited evoke the materialities and atmospheres of these localities, and connections between them.
