On December 5, 2018, the municipality, with the assistance of some leaders in the area, allegedly damaged water infrastructure belonging to the mine. Municipal Spokesperson, Solomzi Phama, told OFM News at the time that they had merely cut off water supply to get mine management to come to the table and address the community on their many concerns.

On December 13, 2018, the mine turned to the High Court to help settle its fractured relationship with the community of Jagersfontein and the municipality. High Court Judge Philip Jacobus Loubser granted the mine, located more than 100 kms outside Bloemfontein, an interdict on Thursday December 13, barring Kopanong and the Jagersfontein Multi-Stakeholder Mining Forum (JMMF) from trying to prevent repair work that the mine wanted to be done to the water infrastructure belonging to the company. 

Loubser’s order said the respondents could challenge the order on the return date, which is 24 January 2019 and argue why the interdict should not be made final. It has been reported that the diamond recovery mine is owned by Johann Rupert, Superkolong Consortium, and Sonop Diamond.

OFM News