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JAGERSFONTEIN is home to one of the oldest and largest, diamond Mine holes’ in the World. This Town is located South-West of Bloemfontein. A 50-carat diamond was found on a Farm in 1870, which led to the establishment of the Town in 1882. The Jagersfontein Mine was were, one of the first ‘kimberlite pipes’ was discovered in South Africa, (its discovery coinciding with the discovery of Bultfontein and Dutoitspan). This was discovered by JJ de Klerk, who at that time, was the overseer of the Jagersfontein Farm. The second and eighth largest rough diamonds ever discovered in the World were taken from this mine. The Excelsior of 995 carats (in 1893) and the Reitz of 650 carats (in 1895 they were cut into the ‘Jubilee Diamond’). In 1870 the pit was hand-dug for 39 years until 1909. Due to the Great Depression, the Mine closed in the early 1930’s and reopened in the late 1940’s. Thereafter it remained in service until 1973, when the operation was finally shut down!
For many years, Mine workers migrated between the diamond Mines in Jagersfontein and the nearby Town of Koffiefontein. These Towns are now Home to many retired mine workers and their families.
Free State, province, east-central Republic of South Africa. Under the name Orange Free State, it was originally a Boer state and then (from 1910) one of the traditional provinces of South Africa; it was renamed Free State in 1995. Free State is bordered on the north by North West, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga provinces, on the east by KwaZulu-Natal province and the independent state of Lesotho, on the south by Eastern Cape province, and on the west by Northern Cape province. The provincial capital, Bloemfontein, is also the national judicial capital.
The province is located on the Highveld, a plateau rising to elevations of 6,000 feet (1,800 m) in the east and sloping to about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) in the west. Two streams drain the province: the upper Orange River, which forms the province’s southern boundary, and the Vaal River, part of its northern boundary. The climate varies from warm and temperate with an annual rainfall of 40 inches (1,020 mm) in the east to semiarid with rainfall of only 15 inches (380 mm) in the far west. Mean annual surface temperatures gradually increase from about 58° F (14° C) in the east to 62° F (17° C) in the west. Frost is common over the entire province from May to September, and, because rainfall is unreliable, long periods of drought are frequent.
Blacks make up more than three-fourths of the province’s population, whites less than one-tenth. More than three-fifths of the population speak Sotho, and about one-tenth speak Afrikaans. Several other languages are also spoken. A large proportion of whites live in cities and towns, while the majority of blacks reside in rural areas.
Free State possesses sizable deposits of diamonds, coal, and bentonite. Much of the coal is transformed into oil and other petroleum products at Sasolburg. The province produces about two-fifths of South Africa’s corn (maize), and wheat is also an important crop. Undulating plains provide excellent grazing for sheep, and the Free State produces about one-sixth of South Africa’s wool.
Free State is predominantly rural, and the more austere and moralistic aspects of the Afrikaner character are probably more in evidence here than elsewhere. Black culture is still strongly influenced by tribal life; the supremacy of chiefs is recognized, and the heritage of traditional animist religion is still evident despite the influence of Christianity.
The University of the Free State (1904) is located in Bloemfontein. Free State is also home to Vredefort Dome, the world’s oldest and largest meteorite impact site, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005. Area 50,126 square miles (129,825 square km). Pop. (2009 est.) 2,902,400.
The Department of Water and Sanitation says it is considering suspending the water usage license for the Jagerfontein Developments mine after the department found that the mine contravened some of the regulations in the National Water Act.
Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo says if they do suspend the license it will only be for a brief period and to satisfy themselves that the mine has a remedial plan.
Mahlobo has opened a criminal case against the mine following the sludge dam burst in September that claimed at least two lives and damaged over a 160 homes.
“Because the risks are still there, that we should consider the possibility of suspending the license, the water use license that we gave them. Not for a long period but to be able to give us a credible plan,” says Mahlobo.Jagersfontein Developments Mine says it hopes that the water and sanitation department does not suspend its license to operate.
The mine has been criticised by the department for failing to adhere to the National Water Act. But the mine says it has submitted all remedial plans to government.
Mahlobo opened a criminal case against the mine following the sludge dam burst on September 11th. Two lives were lost in the disaster and more than 160 homes were damaged.
Jagersfontein Developments mine worker Boitumelo Phoofolo sharing his frustrations about working conditions at the mine. #Jagersfontein #JagersfonteinDisaster #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/4fPepFelzF
— Aphumelele Mdlalane (@AphumeleleMdla2) September 16, 2022
Director for stakeholder engagement, Billy Bilankulu, explains, “We think that all the information that has been requested from us has been able to provide. And all the remedial plans we have given them and we continue to engage with them to improve on what they want us to improve. And at this point, the license has not been suspended. That is a consideration that the department is looking into and if they do find it necessary, they might have to do that. But we are hoping that it does not have to get there.“
Kamogelo Seekoei
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