In November 2022, the provincial spokesperson of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Sipho Towa, told OFM News that search operations stood down due to heavy mud posing a high risk for rescuers, with the possibility of getting trapped or cut. 

“Teams will remain on alert to respond to any hints or changes in circumstances. The farmers and community are urged to continue monitoring their areas and share information about discoveries with emergency services. The team initially carried out drone searches, thermal searches (technology), river bank searches up to 15 km downstream, mud searches, and aerial searches,” Towa added.

ALSO READ: Search for missing Jagersfontein disaster victim called off

The mayor of the Trompsburg-based Kopanong Local Municipality, Xolani Tseletsele, said they will re-engage with the Jagersfontein Development Project (JDP) and other authorities with the aim of aiding the efforts to retrieve the body of the missing Mantele Mokhali.

Mayor Tseletsele said the family of the missing woman has not yet found closure and said all the parties involved in terms of the search, need to create a platform to engage the family.

"In terms of the search, we are the last ones to conduct the search as the community and we couldn't find the woman. As things are, she is still a missing person," Tseletsele added.

Three people went missing following the disaster on 11 September 2022 when the mine dam wall collapsed, releasing tons of sludge which killed two people and displaced over 200.

ALSO READ: Houses, cars swept away by strong stream of water in Free State town | WATCH

Following the Sunday 11 September  2022 disaster, the body of the first victim was found on the same night of the incident whilst the body of the second victim was discovered more than 10 kilometres away on Friday 30 September 2022, by a passer-by who then alerted officials.  

The husband of Mantele, the 54-year-old government disability grant recipient, Paseka Mokhali, previously told OFM News that news of the search for his wife being called off, caught him off guard and he was heartbroken.

He said he was deeply pained since his wife went missing following the disaster. Mokhali said what pains him more is the fact that no government or mine official ever bothered to inform him about the search being called off.

ALSO READ: Husband of missing Jagersfontein woman speaks out

In November 2022, the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, David Mahlobo, accompanied by Mayor Xolani Tseletsele and others, opened a criminal case regarding water pollution against the local mine.

"We have the responsibility as a government to act when an owner of a facility like this fail to take certain actions. Today, on the basis of that, we have completed our own assessment. We're now opening a case on the basis of the National Water Act," Mahlobo said.

Earlier, the Free State Office of Water and Sanitation's spokesperson, Larry Crisp, said a forensic report is being done to determine the extent of the pollution.

OFM News