Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Roy Jankielsohn MPL with images here, here and here
Today I did oversight with Kopanong Cllr Richard van Wyk in Jagersfontein in order to assess the current circumstances in which the community finds themselves after the disastrous tailings dam collapse and subsequent sludge flood on the 11th September 2022.
Although the mine is rebuilding some of the houses that have been lost as a result of the disaster, for most people in the community their circumstances have remained unchanged and in many cases, even deteriorated further.
Basic services to the community are very poor and in some instances, non-existent. One of the most pressing issues before the disaster was a lack of access to reliable sources of water in their taps, some of whom have been experiencing this for 7 years.
The government has erected water tanks in various parts of the town. Although we were informed by the community that these are often empty, this appears to be the government’s permanent solution to their water woes.
This community has suffered great trauma as a result of the tailings dam disaster and now faces further trauma of broken promises regarding improvement of their lives and livelihoods.
The DA will continue to be the voice of this community and will hold government accountable for the promises they make. While the ANC-run government would like us to accept that water-shedding, load-shedding and other poor services are the new normal, the DA will never accept this situation and encourages the community of Jagersfontein and the rest of the Free State to continue fighting for their rights to reasonable basic services.
The DA will take this directly to the Premier in tomorrow’s SOPA debate.