Jagersfontein is a hopeless town with extreme dust due to toxic mine tailings that are close to communities
MENGE AGNES CHOLEDI
As we are in the windy season of August where dust will normally be too much and also celebrating our beautiful and respectful woman’s month, we wish all the best to women all around the universe. As a woman and a monitor or activist, I am very painful to remember this day of 19 August 2020 it’s when my firstborn daughter was raped on the way to school and I’m very disappointed to see the case being closed without my family’s knowledge and my family never saw justice till to this day.
The same people who should protect us are the ones who betrayed us, so far what happened to my family I would like to say
‘Mosadi o tshwara thipa ka bohaleng’.
As we are in August month we are facing a speck of extremely dangerous dust that is making us sick a lot and with different signs of illnesses. Children are vomiting and others are facing skin problems and stomach pains and it’s concerning us a lot, it’s like a nightmare to us. We want the government to intervene by telling the mine to stop bringing Tailings to the location because it’s causing sicknesses in our communities, also as we are about to celebrate the anniversary of the devastating day and to honor those who have suffered.
We urge our GNU government to declare a public holiday for the community of Jagersfontein and also THE MINE MUST STOP that day of 11 September 2022 the day we will never forget or forgive. Now as women, we are facing these problems at night and in the middle of the day because it’s us who must take care of the whole society. We are hoping our 7th Administration also the GNU government to listen to the community of Jagersfontein by establishing a commission of inquiry so that we all get assisted. And also all who will be found guilty must face the end of justice. If we remember the community of Jagersfontein a long time ago faced disaster and also being under state capture that was being secretly operated, but unfortunately, the disaster exposed everything that is happening, now it’s time for justice for the people of Jagersfontein.
We urge the Bench Marks Foundation, all media partners, the GNU government also NPA to make sure all who do not obey the law must pay.
‘The polluter must pay and the people shall govern”.
