Johann Rupert blamed for Jagersfontein dam disaster

BILLIONAIRE Johann Rupert has been accused of apparently intimidating and bribing residents and employees after they raised concerns regarding the dam wall which collapsed at Jagersfontein in the Free State.

At least four people were killed and more than 70 others injured following the collapse of the wall last Sunday, leaving scores of people homeless.

Jagersfontein Development employees and residents said Rupert could have stabilised the dam long before it collapsed, but opted to do nothing. Instead, he allegedly bribed community leaders who raised concerns regarding the flooding danger to the community.

In April this year Rupert’s Reinet Investments sold Jagersfontein’s assets

to Stargems Holdings, a global diamond cutting and polishing company. Community leader Lefa Shale said they had been warning the company since 2019, but instead of the mine stabilising

the dam, then owner Rupert allegedly offered bribes to some of the community leaders.

“The bribery is not an allegation, it is a fact. I am a community leader and

I know about some of the leaders who were bribed,” said Shale.

Resident Thandi Molefe confirmed they had been fighting against the mine to fix the dam and improve their living conditions, but the fights yielded no results.

“We have been protesting and fighting but some leaders were bribed. Today my furniture has been destroyed, while some people lost their homes and cars,” Molefe said.

Attempts to reach Rupert for comment drew a blank. The response was: “This is not Mr Rupert’s phone anymore … so stop involving him, please.”

The responder referred Independent Media to an article by miningmx which stated: “Jagersfontein mine owner Stargems says tailings facility was ‘safe and secure’.

“According to a report by Bloomberg

News, Johann Rupert’s Reinet Investments sold its stake in the Jagersfontein diamond mine and tailings facilities to Stargems Group, a Dubaibased diamond trading company.”

Reinet did not respond to questions when reached.

Stargems said it had forwarded Independent Media’s enquiry to the PR company, Meropa Communications, to assist with the questions.

Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) spokesperson Nathi Shabangu said the company that currently owns the mine should take full responsibility for the damage caused.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Mineworkers has called for a judicial commission of inquiry to probe the cause of the disaster, and those found to have been responsible should be prosecuted.