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Jagersfontein disaster: Mashatile’s visit a PR stunt, claims ActionSA
The dam tragedy happened in September 2022.
A vehicle that was swept away by mud at Charlesville, Jagersfontein, on 12 September 2022, after a mine dam burst killing one person and leaving some community members homeless. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
ActionSA claims that Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s visit to Jagersfontein in the Kopanong Municipality in the Xhariep District, Free State was a publicity stunt.
On 11 September 2022, three people were killed, with 42 people injured and over 300 residents in the small town left homeless, after the mudslide from a dam at a local mine.
On Tuesday, during a site visit, Mashatile told residents not to expect change “overnight”.
He was speaking to the media during his visit to Jagersfontein after promising those displaced that homes will be built for all of them in six months.
READ MORE: Jagersfontein disaster: Deputy President Mashatile promises victims houses
‘Restoration’
However, Mashatile said this would soon be a thing of the past, and also promised that activity in the area would be restored.
“If we work together, I believe we will resolve the issues of this community sooner, to make sure they go back to normality,” he said.
Patricia Kopane, ActionSA Free State provincial chairperson alleged that even after numerous promises were made by various government departments, to date, not a single one of those promises was fulfilled.
Violation
She said in a statement on Wednesday that even after the party wrote a number of letters to various state departments and Chapter 9 Institutions demanding accountability, they have received no response from all these entities except for the Human Rights Commission, which agreed to investigate gross violation of human rights.
“Trompsburg, Fauresmith, Edenburg and Jagersfontein have been without water for years due to the money owed to Bloem Water. He once again made an empty promise that the money owed to Bloem Water would be paid but made no assurances as to when this would happen.
ActionSA will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Jagersfontein residents are treated with dignity and that they will not be victimized again by these cold-hearted entities.”
READ MORE: WATCH: Jagersfontein disaster – No plan to assist multitudes left homeless, injured
