The leadership and members of the SAIMM extend our heartfelt condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and belongings following the wall collapse of the Jagersfontein mine tailings dam in the Free State Province of South Africa on 11 September 2022. We wish those who were injured a speedy recovery. This was a tragedy that has not only caused loss of life and injuries, but also severe damage to infrastructure.
The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) was launched in 2020. The GISTM is a critical initiative responsible for tailings storage facility execution and management. SAIMM supports the principles of the GISTM. Our members are working with their respective employers to achieve the objectives of the GISTM. SAIMM also has a Tailings Committee that strives to disseminate and share knowledge on this topic, and encourages industry thought leaders to participate in the conversation.
An investigation has commenced to establish the cause of the Jagersfontein incident, and we encourage our members and the public not to speculate, but to allow the investigation to proceed and to focus our efforts in supporting remediation and restoration of services for the affected communities.