Jagersfontein disaster: ‘We have nothing, we don’t even have underwear,’ say residents

Calls for owners of the Jagersfontein mine dam to be held accountable are mounting as political parties have also entered the fray, saying the community had raised an alarm about the state of the dam.

Among them is ActionSA’s Free State provincial chair Patricia Kopane, who spoke to The Citizen at the Sandstone Sleeper Estate yesterday, after delivering aid to those whose homes were swept away.

“The disaster we find ourselves in is a man-made one and those responsible must be held accountable. We know the history of that mine. It is so hurting to see how politicians have milked money out of the mine, but the community never benefited anything,” she said.

The EFF’s national spokesperson Sinawo Tambo echoed similar sentiments, calling for a speedy investigation into the cause of the disaster, which is yet to be established, and for the owners to be held accountable.

The EFF wants the owners to assume responsibility for all the damages incurred by the residents and for those who lost their houses to receive new homes within a reasonable timeframe. Some of the families who lost everything to the mudslide are currently being accommodated at the lodge.

“The people here at the hotel are here because there’s a disaster at home. They have lost everything and we feel it is important that we share,” Kopane said.

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The Citizen visited the hotel where the affected people have been accommodated to speak to those who are affected.

A mother, Kenalemang van Staden, said while they were grappling with the pain of losing everything, the biggest crisis they were facing as mothers is nappies as they had to share one packet among themselves.

“One lady was given a packet of 90 nappies at the Jacob Zuma Hall in Fauresmith on Monday – we have had to share since then. The nappies are a size 5 and some of the babies are smaller than that, while some are bigger. We do not know what we will do when those nappies are finished,” she said.

Van Staden said her two-year-old baby does not even have shoes or socks, as they had to rush before they could be swept away by the mud.

“We have nothing, we don’t even have underwear. The clothes my child is wearing now are the only ones I have for her. I don’t even know what nappies she’s going to use tonight,” Van Staden said.

“My child was one of those who were taken to the hostel as he had to attend school but he had nothing. They said they will make a plan for them but we have not heard anything since they were taken and no one is answering the phone.”

One of the mine workers who was also affected by the incident, Leah Sebonyane, said she has heard nothing from her employers since the incident.

“The mine is closed and I don’t even know if they will pay us. We just have to wait and see on the 25th if we will be paid.”

Another resident, Thembile Saula, said he is worried that his workplace will use the no work no pay protocol, which would eventually cost him his job.

“I am a security guard and you know how cruel it can be to us.”

Saula said government officials who visited them on Tuesday, promised they would accommodate them in an area near where they have been staying.

“I hope they can fix things fast. They said to us it is impossible that we can go back to where we stayed. They said the area has to be demolished and they’ll find us another place,” he said.

“This will be something that will take time. I think we will be in an alternative place for a while. Sometimes people come with good promises but you get the process moving at a snail’s pace or even not moving at all.”

A pensioner, Gabriel Sefuli, said rebuilding their houses in Jagersfontein would not be enough as all their belongings have been destroyed. Sefuli said his family lost a lot of valuable things and he thinks he should at least be compensated half for them.

Sefuli’s house was the first house to be damaged by the mudslide on Sunday. He said if he had not woken up to go to the bathroom, he would have likely died in the house.

In a statement, Lawyers for Human Rights said the impact of this tragedy on the local community will be longstanding, especially in light of the response government has had towards natural disasters in the past few months and years.

ALSO READ: Jagersfontein disaster: Alternative sanitation must be provided urgently, warns expert

The devastating flood and mudslides in Jagersfontein reflects years of neglect for which the current and former owners need to be held responsible, as well as officials within the department of mineral resources and energy, who are tasked to monitor and enforce compliance with the National Environmental Management Act, National Water Act regulations, and the conditions of the license for operation of the dam, read the statement.

“The department of water affairs and sanitation has reportedly warned about the dam operating at twice the capacity it was authorised to have.

“This rampant disregard of the law is not an exception. Many of our clients in the mining affected communities have long reported flagrant disregard for environmental laws by the mining corporations operating on their land and communities,” it said.

“Our research confirms community revelations of systematic non-compliance of mining corporations with the conditions of their mining licenses, especially the terms of the environmental authorisation and approved environmental management programme.”

– lungam@citizen.co.za