EWN reports that the National Union of Metalworkers (NUM) says while mine company bosses have already publicly accepted responsibility for the Jagersfontein dam disaster, there should be strong action taken against those responsible.
A wall of the dam burst on 11 September and houses and vehicles were swept away in the small Free State mining town. One person died while over 300 have been displaced. The union said the Jagersfontein dam disaster was a reminder of the Merriespruit tailings dam disaster in Virginia in the Free State 28 years ago when 17 people died. According to the NUM, the lack of accountability within the mining sector was a major continuing problem in SA. "What we have realised is that most mining companies they are here in the country ... doing their profit at the expense of many lives, so we are calling for those who are responsible to be fully accountable and to be charged criminally," said spokesperson Luphert Chilwane.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alpha Ramushwana & Dominic Majola at EWN
- Read too, Residents blame billionaire Johann Rupert for Jagersfontein disaster, at Sunday Independent
- And also, Jagersfontein mine slimes dam disaster was preventable, says water expert, at Mail & Guardian (subscriber access only)
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