Judge Johannes Petrus Daffue was informed during the brief proceedings that the Kopanong Municipal Manager, Martin Kubeka, was still engaging the Free State Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) regarding obtaining legal counsel. 

The same legal practitioner will also represent the Jagersfontein Multi-Stakeholder Mining Forum (JMMF), a community-run group, in the fight against the interdict which was granted by Judge Philip Jacobus Loubser to diamond recovery mine, Jagersfontein Developments on December 13, 2018. 

The interdict prohibits the community leaders and the municipality from trying to prevent repair work that the mine wanted to be done to the water infrastructure belonging to the company. This infrastructure was allegedly damaged by the respondents on December 5, 2018. 

Municipal Spokesperson, Solomzi Phama, told OFM News at the time that they had merely cut off the water supply to get mine management to come to the table and address the community on their many concerns, contrary to statements made by the mine.

Members of JMMF were present in court and were briefly addressed by Judge Daffue on the views regarding the postponement. It was thereafter that OFM News was informed the respondents would have the same legal counsel and were intent on opposing the interdict.

The incident in which the infrastructure was damaged came on the back of a community march on Thursday 22 November. The community took to the streets and handed over a memorandum of demands to mine management as well as the municipality. This memorandum included burning issues and questions the locals have with regards to the mine and the lack of development in the area. 

It has been reported that the mine is owned by Johann Rupert, Superkolong Consortium, and Sonop Diamond.

OFM News