BMF’s chairperson in the Free State, Mosebetsi Dhladhla, says the managerial leadership of the Department of Mineral Resources, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, and the Department of Water and Sanitation should have taken a closer look to see if those tasked with certain aspects [as far as the mine is concerned] fully complied with the law. “These are the three stakeholders who should have checked that the mine is operating within proper conditions,” he adds.

In addition, the managerial leadership of the mine owners, including the previous ones, should have played their role in ensuring the mine is in its best condition. “All of the stakeholders of the mine had a responsibility to the community of Jagersfontein and we believe the managers of those stakeholders have failed the community,” says Dhladhla.

ALSO READ: #JagersfonteinDisaster: Alleged negligence led to collapse of dam – WATCH

“You would find that in a poverty-stricken area like Jagersfontein, most of the people are dependent on subsistence farming. That is how some make a living. When it gets to a situation where they have to evacuate, they leave everything behind. Some businesses are exposed to theft, while some were destroyed by the floods,” explains Dhladhla. Equally, any operation at Jagersfontein might not be conducive to the people of the area. 

He also says there is a possibility that it might take a long time for any of them to receive any reparations. He further says due to the mine dam’s burst, the entire structure of the community is going to be altered. As the BMF, they are calling for every organisation and business community to find a way to assist the people of Jagersfontein with any resources they will be able to provide.

ALSO READ: Millions made available to #JagersfonteinDisaster victims

In conclusion, Dhladhla says what is now of importance is “how will the relevant stakeholders begin to avoid any future disasters of this magnitude”? As the forum, they agree with the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe’s statement that companies that have environmental, social, and governance criteria (ESG), like the former company that owned the mine, cannot simply say they have sold the mine.

“They should be able to say what their responsibility was, ‘where they just going to leave this mine, knowing it is close to the community?’ This also applies to mining companies in the Lejweleputswa area and other mines in Koffiefontein.

“What we will do as BMF, we will call on managers that are in government to enforce the law and ensure that mines are operating ethically and with the best interest of all stakeholders – not just the primary shareholders’,” says Dhladhla.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa promises #JagersfonteinDisaster victims assistance - WATCH

The Jagersfontein disaster in question happened on the morning of Sunday 11 September 2022. Residents of the area woke up to their belongings, including houses and cars, being swept away by a strong stream of water and mud. There has since been allegations that negligence led to the collapse of the dam’s wall.

The current mayor of the Kopanong Local Municipality, Xolani Tseletsele, has been raising the matter of negligence of the mine since 2012, before he become mayor.

The Jagersfontein Development Project (JDP) mine has since the disaster made R20 million available to the affected residents and the town as a form of relief. The mine spokesperson, Leigh Ann Carey, at the time said the company has immediately made the money available to the affected people on the ground and for the restoration of the town.

ALSO READ: DBV red diere uit modder - FOTO'S

The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa has promised residents of the areas that the government will also play a role in assisting to rebuild the town. He also said there will be an extensive investigation into the incident and he has requested to be given an update on a weekly basis.

One of the residents, who is also a farmer, Mpoi Ntaitsane, told Ramaphosa that the government has failed the residents of Jagersfontein. She says for years they have aired their concerns about the issues of the mine but no one cared to listen to them. "Our homes have been destroyed, our families are missing and we can't even locate them. But all the issues have been raised and you saw for yourselves the extent of the damage. It's not just damaged property, there was also reckless endangerment of people. Our lives have been endangered," Ntaitsane says.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has since rescued 568 animals from the area. The Bloemfontein, Virginia and Kimberley branches of the SPCA all jumped in to help rescue the animals from the mud. The Chief Inspector for the SPCA in Bloemfontein, Reinette Meyer, says they were nine workers from the Bloemfontein SPCA, two from Virginia and three from Kimberley helping to save the animals. "The mudwater washed through people's homes. In the settlements, animals are usually tied to chains and it's a farming community, so they have a lot of chicken too. The chicken were in cages at their homes," Meyer adds.

OFM News