Jagersfontein: Free State to rebuild houses with R24m

R24 million has been committed to rebuilding 164 houses by the Free State Government.

The money comes from the emergency fund from the Human Settlements Department

The houses were destroyed when the mine dam wall collapsed in Jagersfontein. The provincial Government stated that the money is from the emergency fund from the Human Settlements Department’s emergency grants.

According to a report by SABC News, the rebuilding will take around six months to complete. The first houses are expected to be delivered by December. 

“We anticipate roughly six months delivering this programme of Jagersfontein. It is going to almost R24 million and that is the emergency funds from the housing grants,” said Head of the Human Settlements Department Mosa Masitha.

Provincial government says they want to ensure lives are restored

The province’s CoGTA head Kopung Ralikontsane says they have taken the responsibility to rebuild the houses as the primary objective is to make sure lives are restored.

“We are engaging the mine on an ad hoc basis but processes will be formalised to try and ensure that the mine is held responsible for what has happened here. Those regulatory processes will determine the culpability of the mine at the end of the day,” said Ralikontsane.

Another mine dam wall collapses in Jagersfontein

Earlier this week, it was reported that another mine dam wall collapsed at the recently disaster-stricken Jagersfontein mine, the Free State Provincial Government confirmed. 

In a statement, the Free State Provincial Government Communication Officer Palesa Chubisi said the Premier of the Free State, Sefora Ntombela has just been informed by the Kopanong Local Municipality of yet another mine dam wall collapse at the disaster-stricken mine in Jagersfontein.

Palesa said the Free State Provincial Government is still trying to establish the extent of the water flow, however, it is understood that the water is running through the neighbourhood of Charlesville and the nearby Dennis Louw farm. Read the full story here.

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