Munyai Phumudzo Gift
Biography
She is Munyai-Matshotshi is a Dedicated Ph.D. Candidate Specializing in the Phytoremediation of Metals from the Klein Letaba gold mine tailings, where her Research Bridges Environmental science, innovation, and sustainable economic development. Her work focuses on pioneering nature-based solutions to rehabilitate degraded ecosystems while fostering local economic growth through techno-entrepreneurship and grassroots innovation. By integrating hyperaccumulator plant species such as Combretum imberbe, Cynodon dactylon, and Sporobolus africanus, she advances strategies to recover valuable metals, reduce environmental toxicity, and transform mining legacies into sustainable community assets.
Research Interest
Phumudzo Seeks to Transform the mining sector to be Essential in Promoting a Sustainable future that Promotes social justice, Economic Empowerment, and Environmental Restoration.
Her efforts Demonstrate how Innovative Solutions inspired by nature can Effectively address the world's Ecological Challenges on a large scale.
Abstract
Sustainable Solutions: Leveraging Native Plant Species for Metal Remediation in Klein Letaba Tailings Dam
The environmental legacy of mining, Especially Tailings dams Contaminated with metals, Continues to pose Serious risks to human health and the Environment as the Demand for natural resources increases globally. In pursuit of harmony with nature, this study explores Phytoremediation as a Sustainable, cost-effective, Environmentally friendly, and community-centered innovation for rehabilitating metal-polluted sites. Focusing on the Klein Letaba gold tailings dam in Limpopo Province, South Africa, the research investigates the potential of native plant species such as Combretum imberbe, Cynodon dactylon, and Sporobolus africanus to extract, stabilize, and accumulate metals from contaminated soils. The project identifies key hyperaccumulator plant species suited for local ecological conditions while evaluating their phytoremediation efficiency under field conditions through detailed geochemical analysis and pot-culture experimental design. The study also considers socio-economic dimensions, highlighting the role of community engagement and indigenous knowledge in enhancing remediation success and long-term stewardship. By integrating scientific innovation, environmental ethics, and community empowerment, this study offers a replicable ecological restoration model consistent with environmental justice and sustainable development principles.
