Central SA
Government working overtime to find last missing person at Jagersfontein─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 09:47 Thu, 20 Oct 2022
The Free State Premier says the provincial government will not rest until the remaining missing person of the Jagersfontein mine disaster is recovered.
Premier Sisi Ntombela said this during a media briefing that was held at the OR Tambo House in Bloemfontein on 19 October 2022. Accompanied by officials from provincial departments, including Cogta, the mayor of the Kopanong Local Municipality, and the representative of the Jagersfontein Development Project (JDP) mine, Ntombela reiterated the government’s commitments towards rebuilding and restoring the dignity of the Jagersfontein victims, whose homes were destroyed by the mudslide disaster.
On 11 September 2022, the mine disaster left scores injured and over 200 people destitute or homeless. Many of them were housed in different shelters in Bloemfontein, Jagersfontein and Fauresmith. Following this tragic disaster, which damaged infrastructure valued at millions, Ntombela assembled officials from the Emergency Medical Services College to assist with the rescue mission and to help search. Two bodies were recovered, while one remains missing.
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“I am with the owners of the mine and we hear from them, they are going to take the responsibility, even if it's only been three to four months that they own the mine. It is their responsibility to make sure that they assist the government to rebuild Jagersfontein. My problem now is that we have not yet found Mme Mokgadi. That’s the biggest problem but we'll keep on searching so that the family must also have peace,” adds Ntombela.
ALSO READ: Free State premier weighs in on JDP
The company has been given various directives by both the Departments of Water and Sanitation and Environmental Affairs to conduct remedial work on the broken silt dam’s wall and rehabilitate the environment. This, after directives were given to the company to also cease operations until directed otherwise.
ALSO READ: Jagersfontein residents demand answers from mine
Affected residents handed over a memorandum of demands to the management of the Jagersfontein Development Projects (JDP) mine a few weeks ago, demanding the mine to take responsibility for the damage caused in the area.
