Water and sanitation minister Pemmy Majodina has called on mining companies to register tailings dams that meet the requirements for classification as dams with a safety risk. Registration would allow the department of water and sanitation (DWS) to exercise proper oversight and enforce dam safety requirements.

Her warning comes after the northern wall of a compartment at Samancor’s Dikwena Chrome mine collapsed near the R511/N4 highway. Almost all the tailings and slime stored in compartment 1B escaped, damaging mine infrastructure, railway infrastructure and Eskom powerlines and raising concerns about water pollution.

DWS spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said the department and the Limpopo-Olifants Catchment Management Agency (Locma) were notified of the incident at about 17:30 on Thursday (13/8). Dam safety regulation officials were sent to the mine and joined Locma and the department of mineral and petroleum resources (DMPR) in assessing the damage.

The thick sludge spread across roads and caused local power outages after damaging electricity infrastructure. A railway embankment and berms at the neighboring Eland Mine prevented the material from reaching the R566 provincial road. No casualties were reported, but an unnamed tributary was polluted.

Mine dam collapse in Brits. Photo: DWS

DWS and Locma have started investigating the cause and environmental impact of the failure. Water samples have already been collected for analysis. The department has also verbally directed the mine to stop depositing tailings into any of its tailings dams while the investigation continues.

The collapse has renewed scrutiny of mine tailings facilities almost four years after the deadly Jagersfontein disaster in the Free State. A mine dam wall failed there in September 2022, causing deaths, injuries and widespread destruction while also leaving some people missing.

A DWS report released last year found severe negligence at Jagersfontein Developments and indicated mine owners had been aware of mounting risks but failed to respond adequately. Deputy water and sanitation minister David Mahlobo also revealed two structures had been built in 2019 on top of an older dam wall constructed during De Beers’ operations.

Mineral and petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe has meanwhile blamed contractor negligence for the Dikwena collapse. He said warning signs of slippage had allegedly been ignored for about three months before the wall failed.

Majodina wants mining companies to ensure all qualifying tailings facilities are formally registered so authorities can strengthen monitoring and act earlier where risks emerge. The Dikwena investigation will also determine the extent of the pollution and whether further regulatory action is required.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi sm

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