JAGERSFONTEIN COMMUNITY WORKING WITH THE BENCH MARKS FOUNDATION

MENGE AGNES CHOLEDI

Jagersfontein community working with Bench Marks Foundation to build a new future

 

As the community of Jagersfontein, we have stood up in re-building a new future for ourselves and our town, many years ago, our town was the one on top when it comes to tourism. People from all over the world would come and visit, sadly today it is the poorest town in the province. Instead residents struggle to recover from a man-made disaster that is even today still breaking our hearts and ruining our minds.

 

Most people feel we have been put aside and our current struggles doesn’t mean anything to the people who have power and control over the government. Jagersfontein was the most beautiful town ever but due to poor leadership, the town has been vandalized by the ones in power. As all can see, we used to have places that used to generate revenue and help our town to be developed. Today people don’t have work because those places are closed and vandalized without any reason, in those days we used to have amongst others; Abattoir, baker, commonage farm, community farm, museum, hotels, Golf course, swimming pool, soccer, cricket and rugby stadium rugby, tennis and hockey Arts and culture and youth Centre.

 

Now for us working with the BenchMarks foundation, we have confidence that we will bring changes. We will overcome the struggle that the Jagersfontein mining community is facing on a daily basis. Under this painful situation, our community is expected to be alcoholic and drug users and lose focus to fight for themselves.