CSOs 4 Tailings Justice

by Hassen Lorgat and Jan Morrill (Earthworks)

Despite the wide scale impacts, reparations and indemnification for impacted communities have been shockingly inadequate. On the one year mark of the disaster, local media reported “promises were made of temporary accommodation and food parcels, but the accommodation provided was 120 km away from the town, and the only evidence of food parcels provided for the community was a daily provision of oranges, dumped by the side of the road in Charlesville.” Houses are still being constructed for families impacted by the failure. There have been complaints about the size, layout and inappropriate location of the construction.

The Bench Marks Foundation is calling on government to investigate the causes of the dam collapse in jaggersfounatin and issue its full forensic report. Yesterday marked two years since the incident, were a tailing dam at the Jagersfontein mine in free state burst its wall, sending a torrent of mine waste down the slope to the settlements of Charlesville and Itumeleng.The disaster resulted in three fatalities, two people still missing, with the destruction of 164 homes, contaminated farmland, and the loss of livestock. Elvis Presslin spoke to Hassen Lorgat, from the – tailings working group..

Sep 11, 2024 marks the second anniversary of the Jagersfontein tailings dam failure in Free State, South Africa. On 11 Sept 2022, the tailings dam failed and inundated homes in Charlesville and Skoti. Many people are still displaced and have not been compensated for basic losses. Reclamation of waterways and farmland is slow and difficult. University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a photo and film exhibition yesterday, following a research collaboration with The University of Queensland, UFS is helping to build an archive of stories, pictures, and documents with local people, and for the public record. #mining#tailings#GISTM#community#disaster#engineering#justice

‘There’s days and nights where I think I’m going to die now’

By Anna Kalafatis ’22, The Hawk Newspaper, August 28, 2024

Johannesburg, South Africa  –  A series of yellow mountains looms over the township of Riverlea, about six miles west of Johannesburg. The mountains, known as tailings, are the result of waste materials left over from the processing of ore during mining operations. When the wind blows, toxic dust creates an ever-present layer of grime on and in the houses near the tailings, including a multigenerational house where a family of seven sisters is now down to three.

By. Boitumelo Kgobotlo, Sunday World, 26th July 2024

The SA Tailings Civil Society Group has threatened legal action against the government for failure to release a forensic report on the Jagersfontein disaster.

Community activists who were gathered in Rosebank have just concluded their meeting which focused on matters pertaining to mine waste and tailings dams. Their discussions also highlighted the legal situation and the effects on mining affected communities. GUEST: Hassan Lorgat, Convenor of the South African civil society tailings working group