The community of Jagersfontein in the Free State is still traumatised and angry a week on from the tailings dam collapse on Sunday, September 11 that claimed one life and left many residents destitute.
THE COMMUNITY of Jagersfontein in the Free State is still traumatised and angry a week on from the tailings dam collapse on Sunday, September 11 that claimed one life and left many residents destitute.
The dam collapse triggered heavy mud flooding that swept away about 10 houses in Charlesville and damaged some in Itumeleng township.
The community insists that the flooding was a man-made disaster and that the mine ignored various warnings, including on the morning of the disaster.
Following the disaster on Sunday morning, residents started the mop-up process on Tuesday last week after the bridge was opened on Monday.
The small town had been blanketed by a deafening silence after the residents were bused to various guest houses and hotels in Bloemfontein and Fauresmith as a temporary shelter.
The Free State SAPS Search and Rescue team were performed the recovery process for the reported missing people by utilising a helicopter.
A chopper was also used to drop off and collect divers in the chest-high mud, who were performing the recovery process.
Various organisations like the Gift of the Givers and the SPCA went to the town to offer humanitarian relief.
Some of the animals had to be put down after being trapped in the acidic mud and swallowing it.
Learners could not go to school for a week as their school uniforms and books were swept away, while others were still too traumatised.
The victims received medical treatment, including counselling, on Wednesday, and many whose houses were not washed away returned home.
The owners of the tailings dam, Jagersfontein Developments, availed R20 million for relief operations and pledged to monitor progress in prioritising people’s safety and health; restoring the town; and returning people to their homes and livelihoods.
The intervention last week followed the visits by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday and that of the Minister of DMR Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday.
Kopanong Local Municipality apparently has to work on finding suitable land for the houses that were washed away to be rebuilt.
Some of the residents could not attend the politicians’ site visits and put their faith in the committee members of the newly established Disaster Forum.
Electricity was restored to Jagersfontein on Wednesday, except for Charlesville and Itumeleng.
The residents said they “saw this disaster coming” and said that the mine had turned a blind eye.
They added that the mine had ignored them and failed to follow the relevant safety measures on the day of the disaster.
According to the residents, no awareness came from the side of the mine and no evacuation process was implemented when the dam burst at around 3am on Sunday.
They were getting warnings and updates from the workers who stay in the neighbourhood that the mine dam was overflowing and could lead to a disaster.
The residents also pointed out that wet patches were visible on the wells but they were not getting updates from the mine regarding that.
The residents now fear the possibility of another similar disaster after they were “tipped off” that the other dam on the mine is also full and might cause flooding.
Many of the residents put the blame on the Department of Mineral Resources for not monitoring the operations on the mine and the rehabilitation process when it was sold by De Beers.
The community further complained that the mine does not put back into the community.
According to a local mineworker, the tailings dam process should include removal of water from the plant into the dam and then from the dam onto the plant for reuse or recycling, to avoid environmental impact. This is to avoid stagnant water that can have a negative impact on the environment.
After the recycling of water the mud and tailings are then excavated from the dam for reconstruction of the roads on the mine and the safety berms.
The tailings are also used to maintain the dam walls outside.
He said a maintenance construction process is supposed to be done every year to also monitor the tailings pumps to avoid malfunctioning and that the mine was supposed to have conducted the process before it started operations.
Jagersfontein Developments (Pty) Ltd clarified in a statement that it owns the tailings dam, which is a treatment facility for the tailings dump at Jagersfontein.
The statement further elaborated that it is not involved in any mining operations in the area.
“Stargems only acquired Reinet Fund’s shareholding in Jagersfontein in April 2022,” reads the statement.
Most of the residents said they heard a concerning noise that sounded like a flowing river at around 4am on Sunday morning but could not confirm anything as there was no warning or reaction from the mine’s site.
An eyewitness, Daniel Letoane, who resides in Charlesville, said he saw the water flowing strongly from the mine, cutting down the fence on his way from work.
He said he managed to cross the bridge just before the mud started to flow.
“The water was strong but was running under the bridge. I knew that this was not good so I rushed to the house in order to alert them at home about the danger that was coming.
“By then many people were already standing outside their houses and had started evacuating the elderly people to higher-lying areas.
“When I arrived home, I saw the mud starting to break loose and flow like a tsunami, sweeping everything it reaches.
“I have never seen such a sight in my life. It was like a scene on TV. It was like a mountain giving way. The mud was not running under the bridge like the water but way higher than the small bridge.
“We managed to evacuate my grandmother from the house along with the other as one of the neighbours was using his car to do the process of evacuation. Those who remained behind were the ones who could run in case the situation became more serious.
“Most of the people had already run away. I was the last one to run away from the house when vehicles started heading in my direction, and one missed me. By that time I could not see any of the houses that used to be opposite ours because they were washed away.
“It was an unbelievable sight,” said Letoane.
“I was scared, but it seemed like a dream. We only see these things on TV. These houses are built with strong concrete but they were swept away like a piece of paper.”
Letoane said they decided to move back home as soon as possible last week out of concern that their remaining pieces of furniture would be damaged by the mud or that criminals would take advantage as some of the people who went to view the area “had their own agendas”.
Another community member, Mpho Masia, said there is no place that her family can call home anymore after their house was completely washed away.
She said that her mother, who is a pensioner and suffers from chronic illnesses including high blood pressure and diabetes, had been living with them and was lucky to be evacuated on time.
She added that her mother, who was admitted to hospital immediately after the incident, was readmitted to hospital again on Wednesday.
“We no longer have a place to call home. I am working in Bloemfontein and we as a family have invested so much into this house. It’s so sad to be standing on a foundation of what used to be our home,” said Masia.
Lungiwe Buqa said she had to ask for accommodation from relatives in Bloemfontein after her traumatised children could not stay at the guest house following the disaster.
Buqa, who had a bad cough, said her two children, who are aged six and eight years old, were still at home when the mud started pushing through the yards and sweeping over the cars.
“I had two cars inside the yard, a Mercedes-Benz and a Toyota Fortuner. When the disaster started we did not know where to flee, so I put my children on top of the Fortuner in an effort to save them from the tragedy.
“They became more traumatised when they saw the Mercedes-Benz being swept away and the Fortuner being turned by the pressure from the mud.
“I can still hear their voices when they cried ‘mama we don’t want to die’,” said Buqa.
After the incident, Buqa said she did not know where her Mercedes-Benz was, while the Fortuner had to be towed away by the insurance company after it was covered in mud inside and outside.
Buqa had to wade through ankle-high mud inside her recently renovated house.
She pointed out that her family was traumatised and they had already started suffering serious coughs and that the children were having nightmares.
Lefa Shale, a community leader of Charlesville, raised concerns that they still live in fear after a warning that another disaster is on the cards.
“Those who work on the mine said this is nothing compared to what is coming because the bigger dam is also full of mud,” said Shale.
“All of us, children and adults, are still traumatised and everything has come to standstill.”
He confirmed that 10 houses were washed away while some of the houses might collapse at any time due to serious cracks and some parts of some of the houses being destroyed.
According to Shale, about 100 households were directly affected by the tragedy.
He also expressed his fear that the promises that were made will never be fulfilled.
Papikie Tsoaeli said they have been submitting their grievances for years and the DMR and the Department of Water Affairs knew about the complaints.
He said research was conducted in the area after the community submitted a grievance, but there was no compliance.
He said the latest grievance was directed to the mine earlier this year, where various government departments were included
“This could have been prevented a long time ago if they had complied and they weren’t irresponsible. They have been sending us from pillar to post and not responding to our grievances,” said Tsoaeli.
He highlighted to Mantashe that the mine was advised to build a proper sludge dam because the one that collapsed was built with sand.
“Even now, the whole disaster is estimated to be about R20 million, of which that money is little and does not even come near to what happened here.
Jagersfontein Developments stated that the dam went through independent engineering inspections in July 2022, during which it was found to be safe and volumes were within limits.
“The organisation remains legally compliant and committed to the community in which it operates. An independent water analysis has determined that the waste is not hazardous and does not pose a health risk at this stage. The report defines the waste in the alkaline pH range and classifies the sludge cake and liquid as Type 3 (Low Risk). This means that the waste does not pose any health threat to anybody exposed to it,” the company stated.
“Currently the dam is stable and is being closely monitored.”
The company further indicated that the R20 million fund is being put to work for displaced residents, providing food parcels, necessary supplies and settling medical and hospital bills.
“Although mining operations in the town have been dormant for many years and were not undertaken by Jagersfontein Developments, the treatment facility, which it does own, has been a viable and functioning plant. As such, it has been subjected to regular maintenance, compliance checks, and has been processing the dormant diamond mine waste legally.
“Jagersfontein Developments employs 70% of its workforce from the surrounding community. As such, it is committed to restoring operations and the town to continue providing incomes for these families.
“While it is too early to establish any reason for the collapse, the company has appointed an independent investigation team to understand the facts.”
