University of Free-State hosted an Art Exhibition for the Jagersfontein Disaster

Thabo Ishmael Choledi

An event that the University of the Free State hosted regarding an Art exhibition of photos, visual display, and live performance commemorating the disaster victims.  As a victim and an activist, I performed and presented the speech I prepared for the commemoration of that day on 11 September 2022. We had guests from all around the world, from Australia to London, and my speech was read as follows ;

Greetings to everyone with blessed love 11 September 2022 is the day I will never forget or forgive the malicious damage to the world’s heritage site, our Jagersfontein is under attack by a diamond rush cooperation. You pay a price to become a hero I still thank god to this day of my life for saving us as a community, although we didn’t manage to protect the Queen and everyone who lost their lives and loved ones. We still carry on sending
our deep condolences to them, may God bless them from their sorrow because it’s a pain that will haunt us forever day and night.

Diamonds have put our lives in danger, we are living with trauma and nightmares together with poverty throughout our lives. Since I was born, I’ve been waiting for and yearning for this day to come, when our concerns will be recognised and our voices will be heard by those responsible. The bosses of power, today people are dead while others are injured. Lives have been destroyed and we are sick and poorer than before, from something that should have been avoided from the start, but because of money many people are crying to this day. A small town that has played a huge role in the monarchy and the royal family to be crowned.

For the survival of our town and history, I mobilize the community to play a role in a challenging road to the royal family of King Charles to seek justice and solidarity. As I’m about to close my message, I would like to say Jagersfontein is the first mining town with the biggest hand-dug hole (pit) in the world. The first biggest diamond ever found in the world was discovered (on June 30, 1893) The Excelsior diamond (blue-white 995 carats) world’s largest diamond ever, but till today we are starving and poor with a high rate of unemployment, We are the democratic government, the government of national unity also the seventh
administration to consider our cries.