Four years after the fatal Jagersfontein tailings dam disaster, the collapse of another tailings dam is under investigation by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), together with the Limpopo Olifants Catchment Management Agency (LOCMA).
The incident occurred at the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) at Samancor’s Dikwena Chrome mine near Brits in the North West on August 13. The northern wall of Compartment 1B collapsed, releasing almost all of the tailings and slime stored in the facility.
A team of engineers from the DWS Specialist Unit for Dam Safety Regulation, together with officials from LOCMA, were dispatched to the site after the department was notified of the breach. Officials from the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources also joined the assessment to determine the extent and impact of the incident.
According to Wisane Mavasa, spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation, there were no reported casualties following the failure. However, the incident resulted in damage to mine infrastructure, the railway line and Eskom powerlines, while an unnamed tributary was polluted.
The incident comes after the 2022 Jagersfontein tragedy in the Free State where two people died when a compartment collapsed and released 5.9 million cubic metres of fine tailings downstream, causing flooding and destruction of infrastructure. A third person was reported missing and is presumed dead.
Last year, a report on the Jagersfontein collapse pointed to structural issues along the southern wall of the dam tailings including a weak foundation which resulted in the failure of the TSF where the breach occurred.
Mavasa said the released material from the Dikwena incident was prevented from reaching the R566 provincial road by a railway embankment and berms at the adjacent Eland Mine.
“Fortunately, the slime was prevented from flowing towards the R566 provincial road by a railway line embankment and some berms in the adjacent Eland Mine. It can be confirmed that no casualties resulting from the tailings dam failure were reported; however, there was damage to the mine’s infrastructure, the railway line, Eskom’s powerlines and pollution of an unnamed tributary,” Mavasa said.
Water samples have been collected from the affected watercourse, with laboratory results still pending.
As a precautionary measure, the DWS has issued a verbal directive to the mine to stop depositing tailings into any of its tailings dams while the investigation into the failure continues.
The department said the incident also highlighted the importance of ensuring that tailings dams that meet the minimum requirements for classification as dams with a safety risk are properly registered.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has reiterated her call for mining companies that own facilities to meet the classification requirements under the National Water Act to register their tailings dams so that the department can effectively carry out its oversight responsibilities.
The National Water Act 36 of 1998 provides for the management and protection of South Africa’s water resources. LOCMA is responsible for managing water resources in the Limpopo Olifants Water Management Area, which includes the area where the incident occurred.
Mining safety and community concerns
The Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) said the incident highlighted some of the challenges facing communities in mining areas and called for greater cooperation between government, investors, mining companies and civil society.
Blessing Manale, executive manager for Communications and Consensus Building at the PCC, said responsible mining needed to extend beyond operational safety to include environmental protection and the wellbeing of communities.
“We believe that it constitutes and demonstrates a key feature of some of the challenges faced by communities in the mining nodes and calls upon governments, investors, industry leaders, and civil society to work together in ensuring that mining and mineral extraction is developed and beneficiated in a responsible manner, not only in terms of safety and safeguards during operations, but beyond,” Manale said.
He said this should include the protection of soil, water and ambient air.
The PCC said the incident came at a time when the mining sector was facing growing pressure linked to climate change, geopolitical shifts and rising global demand for critical minerals.
Mining remains a major economic contributor in South Africa and supports hundreds of thousands of livelihoods through upstream and downstream value chains, particularly in regions where alternative employment opportunities can be limited.
Manale said the sector needed to maintain its social licence to operate while ensuring that mining communities were protected.
“South Africa’s mining endowment is strong, but competitiveness will require infrastructure readiness and social licence from communities to operate,” Manale said.
“The PCC’s position is clear: mining has a future in South Africa, but only if it is future fit,” Manale said.
“That requires credible transition plans for mining regions, transparent management of closure and rehabilitation liabilities, and alignment between climate policy, industrial development, and environmental accountability.”
The DWS investigation remains ongoing, with the results of water quality testing expected to provide further information on the environmental impact of the tailings release.
The cause of the structural failure and the full extent of the damage will be determined through the investigation.
ashley.lechman@nationalmg.co.za