Many people might have only heard of Jagersfontein this week as it dominated headlines for disastrous reasons, but the mining town is not new to the history pages of the country and the world. Jagersfontein holds the record for the discovery of the biggest diamond ever found. Linked to this historic find were the second and eighth largest rough diamonds, which were also discovered in the town. Furthermore, Jagersfontein was the second town in South Africa and the first town in the former Orange Free State to have electricity and running water.
The town’s incredible history has, over the years, been contrasted by poor human and infrastructural development, dropping Jagersfontein into a pool of the poorest towns in the country. However, in the aftermath of last Sunday’s calamity, residents of the area will have to tap into that rich heritage as they look for resilience to rebuild their lives. The town has turned into a ghost town as residents were forced to vacate their homes.
With the inspirational Sisi Ntombela as their leader, these affected families will be rebuilding from a place of encouragement and unconditional support.
From the first day of the disaster, the Premier has remained on the ground with the victims, partaking in their grief, facilitating interventions, conducting impact assessments and spearheading efforts to rebuild the besieged town.
To make sure that she doesn’t miss even the smallest detail, Ntombela accordingly established a communication protocol through which she has been receiving daily reports from all stakeholders about developments in the town so that her government can craft effective interventions. The Office of the Premier has also made use of an integrated communications approach, leveraging digital technologies and traditional broadcasting platforms to share updates and spread messages of hope.
Speaking during one of her regular visits, the Premier reassured residents that the reconstruction of their lives and livelihoods was central to her administration. “We have identified sites. However, there is no infrastructure installed, which poses a challenge of time. Nevertheless, we will be accelerating installing the water and sewer infrastructure as well as electricity,” stated the Premier.
Ntombela understands that rebuilding the flooded town has to go beyond the replacement of physical structures.
Reconstruction also means reigniting the willpower of those affected. Preaching hope to victims, she said, “God’s grace is bottomless. Truly, we have to thank God as the people of Jagersfontein, for we have seen Him with our own eyes. All earthly things shall come to pass, but God’s mercy is still with you. In your mind you may be thinking, I used to have furniture but now I lost it. But now is the time to start afresh. We are rebuilding Jagersfontein.”
Ntombela also called on members of the community to stop spreading fake news about the disaster, saying such misinformation caused unnecessary panic. Instead, she urged all residents to play their part in building the Free State they want, starting first with the reconstruction of Jagersfontein.
“We are committing to support and assist the affected families with all that we have. Our primary focus now as the provincial government is the wellbeing of the residents. We are a government of the people, by the people, and ours is to help our people when they are in distress,” she said.
According to the Department of Human Settlements, bidders will be invited to showcase Innovative/Alternative Building Technology (IBT/ABT) housing solutions in order to fast track a permanent solution to rehouse displaced Jagersfontein residents.
