According to Xhariep District Mayor, Irene Mehlomakhulu, water and electricity were restored to most areas of Jagersfontein, except Charlesville and a section of Itumeleng, which were badly affected by the mudslide. Mehlomakhulu says the Department of Water and Sanitation has since provided Jojo tanks in those areas. Eskom has been doing some work on the substation which was badly damaged by the sludge to be able to restore electricity to the entire area of Jagersfontein.

ALSO READ: #JagersfonteinDisaster: Not clear when electricity will be restored

Eskom had indicated that it is not clear when it would be able to restore the electricity supply to Jagersfontein after their substation was engulfed by mud on Sunday. The spokesperson for the entity, Stefanie Jansen van Rensburg, said that Eskom lost supply to Centlec, the electricity distributor responsible for the Jagersfontein town and township.

OFM News previously reported that the wall of a mining dam collapsed at around 06:00 on 11 September 2022, leading to the area being flooded by silt from the dam. Van Rensburg also added that Eskom’s Rietkuil Substation was also engulfed by the mud, resulting in a total loss of bulk supply to Centlec.

“Due to the current situation in the Jagersfontein area and inaccessibility of our substation, it is impossible to estimate when supply will be restored or to determine the extent of the damage. Since Eskom’s telecommunication system is also affected by the flood, the impact on surrounding networks is still unclear,” Van Rensburg said earlier.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa promises #JagersfonteinDisaster victims assistance - Watch

Following his visit to the area on Monday 12 September 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa promised that there will be an extensive investigation into the incident and has since requested to be given a full report on a weekly basis. This after he had pledged to assist residents of Jagersfontein, who were left homeless or destitute, to rebuild their lives following the disaster that swept away their homes, cars and other belongings.

OFM News