The National Union of Metalworkers (NUM) says while the 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 last Sunday – and houses and vehicles were swept away in the small Free State mining town.
One person died while over 300 have been displaced. The deluge knocked out electricity in the town and washed away livestock.
The union says the Jagersfontein dam disaster is a reminder of the Merriespruit tailings dam disaster in Virginia in the Free State 28 years ago – where 17 people died.
The trade union says the lack of accountability within the mining sector is a major continuing problem in South Africa.
“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 a spokesperson Luphert Chilwane.
Meanwhile, the portfolio committee on mineral resources and energy is calling for the provision of assistance for the hundreds of people who lost their homes in the mining town.
Committee chairperson, Sahlulele Luzipo said they will compile a report to be tabled in the National Assembly to help the affected residents.
Luzipo said the committee will engage with other parliamentary committees to ensure that residents are assisted as soon as possible.
“A massive programme of counselling is needed for members of the community because almost everyone when I was there was traumatised but any individual if you go there and see what happened it’s a picture that will never leave your mind.”
-EWN
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