Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Sello Seitlholo release the Technical Investigation Report on the failure of Jagersfontein Tailings Dam

Water and Sanitation Deputy Ministers, David Mahlobo and Sello Seitlholo have officially released the findings of the independent technical investigation onto the failure of the Jagersfontein Fine Tailings Storage Facility (FTSF) to the Jagersfontein community yesterday, Friday, 28 November 2025.

The dam failure incident, that occurred in the small town in the Kopanong Local Municipality in Free State on 11 September 2022 resulted in tragic loss of life, leaving scores of people homeless as well as pollution of the environment and water resources.

The duo visited the town of Jagerfontein with Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae accompanied by Kopanong Local Municipality Mayor Xolani Tseletsele on 28 November 2025. The delegation proceeded to Mayibuye Community Hall where they relayed the findings of the report to the community.

The Jagersfontein FTSF or tailings dam, owned by the Jagersfontein Development (Pty) Ltd, consisted of two compartments separated by an embankment wall. When the dam breached on the southern wall of the tailings dam, one compartment collapsed, leading to containment of approximately 5.9 million cubic meters (mᵌ) of fine tailings being released downstream and causing flooding and destruction of infrastructure and property including power lines, substations, and wastewater treatment works, houses as well as pollution to the environment.  Two people were confirmed dead, and one person remains missing, and is presumed dead.

Following the collapse of the dam, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) appointed the University of Pretoria (UP) and University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) to conduct a technical investigation into the failure of the TSF, to determine the cause of its collapse, assist the Department to ensure that such incidents do not recur, ensure better regulation techniques are employed and to conduct an extensive technical study into the cause(s) of failure of the FTSF. This investigation included site visits and expert evaluations by specialist civil engineers, i.e. geotechnical and hydraulic engineers from the two institutions.

Parallel to this, the Environmental Management Inspectorates from both the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) and DWS conducted a joint investigation into the incident. A criminal case docket was finalised and referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Bloemfontein, which has taken the decision to prosecute.

The team of experts from the UP and Wits also completed the investigation and handed the report to the department in September 2024. The report was kept confidential at the request and advice of the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DDPP) until the matter was enrolled and the first court appearance of the accused in the matter.

The technical investigation by the two universities found that among others, the owner of the tailings dam, Jagersfontein Development (Pty) Ltd, may have been aware of the instability of the storage facility along the southern wall of the dam tailings from as far back as 2019, and at the time added large volumes of material to stabilise the slope, which was not effective, but continued to raise the dam wall and deposit more tailings into the dam.

The report further indicates that the construction/raising of the tailings storage facility was based on conceptual designs and that no detailed designs were done to enable the safe construction of the facility. In addition, there was no construction supervision by a registered engineering professional.  The investigation also revealed that part of the southern wall of compartment-2 was constructed over a pre-existing tailings dump of low strength, meaning it was constructed on a weak foundation. This is what largely resulted in the failure of the TSF where the breach occurred.

Deputy Minister Mahlobo told community that he would have liked for the dam to close down but, seeing that it is not yet fully compliant with directives issued, however government also have to consider the livelihood of residents who reside in the area as the mine provides job opportunities to some of the residents. “It is a fine balancing act saving jobs and saving lives,” he concluded.

A full copy of the report can be accessed on the Department of Water and Sanitation’s website.

Media enquiries:

Departmental Spokesperson, Ms Wisane Mavasa 
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za 

Ministerial Spokesperson, Mr Cornelius Monama 
Cell: 083 271 0808
E-mail: monamac@dws.gov.za

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