The action taken to manage the Jagersfontein flood disaster must be comprehensive to prevent long-term consequences and further tragedy.
The FF Plus demands that the Free State Premier, Sisi Ntombela, must declare the affected area a disaster area and place a restriction on public access at once.
Jagersfontein’s sewage plant was destroyed by the wave of water. The town’s water and electricity supply have also been disrupted.
This infrastructure must urgently be repaired so that service delivery can be restored.
The FF Plus will ask the chief executive officer of Bloemwater to use the available boreholes in town that are under his control to supply the reservoir with water.
The FF Plus’s MP in the NCOP, Adriaan de Bruyn, and FF Plus MPL in the Free State Legislature, Armand Cloete, have been on the scene since Sunday and observed that residents are allowed to access the affected area.
The mining mud covering the area probably contains toxic substances, like arsenic, which could pose serious health risks to humans and animals.
The FF Plus commends the swift response by emergency services, but wants to point out to government that short-term solutions are not all that the Jagersfontein community will need.
The long-term consequences of the disaster must also be taken into account and addressed.
The tragedy is most likely the result of negligence, and a thorough investigation must be done to determine accountability.
Urgent action must also be taken to prevent the second dam wall from collapsing.
The party will do everything in its power to ensure that the area and community are properly rehabilitated.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Adriaan de Bruyn on FF Plus
