The collapse of the Jagersfontein tailings dam in the Free State has brought to light the concerns of residents living near similar mining dams in other areas across the country.
Growing beliefs Jagersfontein disaster could have been avoided:
Khuma residents near Stilfontein in the North West are now fearful of Harmony Gold’s tailings dam located next to their area.
They are now questioning the safety of the dam and worried about the effects of chemicals used next to their homes.
According to experts, mine dam bursts are prompted by uncontrolled spills of tailings, dangerous flow slides or the release of hazardous substances.
Karee Rand is one of Harmony Gold’s ten tailing dams around the Klerksdorp and Orkney areas. The dam is closer to residents of Khuma. It has become a huge concern since the Jagersfontein mine dam burst.
“We are concerned about the dam that just burst. What will happen if this one bursts?” a resident asked.
“We don’t want to see what happened in Jagersfontein happen here, risking our lives,” another resident reiterates.
“There’s no risk sharing. Karee Rand affects us here but we’re not even benefiting anything from the mine,” a third resident said.
Footage from a drone camera shows that the dam appears full. Harmony Gold has confirmed plans to extend the dam. However, this has not reassured the residents.
“We’ve got the radiation that is coming from the mine that comes to the township. How did they find that they can extend the dam without consulting the community because this thing at the later stage is going to kill us,” says Khuma resident Caiphus Mkhatshwa.
“How are they going to implement safety measures for CH people? Number two, we want to know what is it we’re going to do in case of anything that puts our lives at risk?” asks another Khuma resident Sechaba Ratladi.
Harmony Gold believes its dam is not a threat to residents. It says it adheres to tailings storage facility guidelines.
“Karee Rand has been designed with maximum controls in place, as per best practice to ensure that there’s no dam failure. Additionally, the operation of the dam is very meticulously managed. We monitor the impact of our disposal into the tailing dams. It should also be noted that our doorstep communities at Karee Rand are all located upstream of the dam, which greatly reduces the risk in the highly unlikely event of a failure. We have through our environmental authorisation process conducted an extensive public consultation program,” says Harmony Gold spokesperson Mel Naidoo-Vermaak.
Meanwhile, an environmental expert says the mine disposals are not only hazardous to residents but also to the environment.
“Mining waste often contains a broad spectrum of metals. In the case of gold mining activities, it may also contain uranium active progeny. Mining companies must exercise the duty of care in order to prevent pollution and ecological degradation. Some of these hazards relate to water. They resurface in the groundwater. Dust falls out,” says Federation for a Sustainable Environment’s Mariette Liefferink.
Liefferink suggests an amendment to the Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996, to block operation of tailings dams close to communities.
“Provision is made by the mine and health and safety act for residential [areas] to be established 100 meters [away] of a mining storage facility or mine site. The legislation will have to be amended if for example the community is required to live perhaps 500 or 2 000 meters from tailing storage facilities,” Liefferink added.
SABC contacted the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy last Friday for a comment on whether or not, it is monitoring operational mine tailings dams, but did not get a response.
