Nokwequ said they are pumping the sludge and loading it into container trucks to be dumped at the designated site within the mine property.
The municipality identified the site where the houses of the victims of the flooding which occurred earlier this month are going to be built, he added.
“There is a task team which will be consulting with the community.”
Papiki Tsoaeli, a resident and member of the disaster committee, said most residents are anxious.
“I think people didn’t know what was happening and there was no communication. People were curious and going around asking what was happening and if it was another disaster,” he said.
He said Gift of the Givers, Meals on Wheels and the government were helping victims in the area.
“Social development department is conducting counselling sessions for people who experienced trauma. Human settlements department did a presentation yesterday showing people the houses they want to build for them.”
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Jagersfontein residents panicked, says Free State government official
Provincial government backtracks on 'second dam leak' report
Image: GCIS
Stormwater flowing in areas where mine waste spilt after two days' continuous rainfall has caused panic among residents in Jagersfontein.
This is according to Dr Mbulelo Nokwequ, the head of the Free State department of economic, small businesses development, tourism and environmental affairs.
He said water started overflowing through the sludge which was already on the ground and residents started panicking and saying the second dam wall had collapsed.
“It is a reservoir dam of clean water. When it started flowing through the grey sludge which was on the ground, understandably there was a panic to say the second dam wall had collapsed following the September 11 situation,” he said.
Nokwequ said the provincial engineers were on site and indicated the water flowed through the channel which was already there and the situation didn’t impose any imminent danger or threat to the community.
“The work commenced last week with the retaining wall so that the sludge doesn’t continue to flow.”
Jagersfontein mine dam owner denies second collapse
Nokwequ said they are pumping the sludge and loading it into container trucks to be dumped at the designated site within the mine property.
The municipality identified the site where the houses of the victims of the flooding which occurred earlier this month are going to be built, he added.
“There is a task team which will be consulting with the community.”
Papiki Tsoaeli, a resident and member of the disaster committee, said most residents are anxious.
“I think people didn’t know what was happening and there was no communication. People were curious and going around asking what was happening and if it was another disaster,” he said.
He said Gift of the Givers, Meals on Wheels and the government were helping victims in the area.
“Social development department is conducting counselling sessions for people who experienced trauma. Human settlements department did a presentation yesterday showing people the houses they want to build for them.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
READ MORE:
Free State government prioritising rebuilding lives of Jagersfontein victims
'Mine management knew about dam leakages hours before Jagersfontein disaster, but did nothing'
Q&A with Jagersfontein Developments’ legal compliance officer Marius de Villiers on dam wall collapse
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