WATCH | Ramaphosa visits Jagersfontein, promises support to those affected

President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised government will focus on restoring the livelihoods of people affected when a tailings dam wall collapsed in Jagersfontein in the Free State on Sunday, flooding the town with mine waste water and displacing hundreds.

“This is an accident. Some of you think it is a man-made incident. We are going to investigate," he said on Monday.

“For now let us focus on restoring the livelihoods of our people here with immediate effect. Those who were affected by this accident, we should immediately restore their livelihoods.”

Many people had lost their homes and government was going to address that.

“We want to concentrate on making sure we look after our people from a livelihood point of view, a security point of view”, education, , health, human settlements and everything that goes with creating and restoring the livelihoods of people affected.

People traumatised by the incident needed counselling.

“Our social workers will be there to consult everybody who has been affected, every household. Those who have lost their homes ... people have been taken to accommodation which is not a hall but which is not as good as your home.”

Government will also assist those whose businesses were affected.

“Don’t lose hope. We are going to give as much support as we possibly can.”

TimesLIVE