“Last week, the lawyers met with the mayor to discuss this development,” they say, adding that legal professionals had previously approached the mine owners about their plans to rebuild houses for the victims.
SACBC officials say the mine owners “refused to make any commitments before the liability issues are concluded.”
JPC officials vow to continue working with the lawyers to “explore a way forward” on behalf of the victims.
“Mines should put people before profit. When their operations cause harm to people and the environment, we will make sure they do not evade accountability,” they say in the November 23 note.
in a interview with ICA Africa after the landslide that occurred reportedly Triggered by the collapse of a tailings dam wall, the parish priest of the Kriste Morena Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Bloemfontein in South Africa said he was providing counseling and emotional support to the victims.
“What the Church has been doing so far is offering counseling and emotional support. I have been visiting the people who were taken to the local hospital and noticed that many of the victims are traumatized by what happened, so I spend time listening to them, praying with them, offering them psychological support”, said Fr. Michael Mapulanga during the interview on September 19.
The Zambian-born member of the Congregation of Africa missionaries described the 9/11 incident as “devastating” as those affected by the landslide “lost absolutely everything”.
Father Mapulanga told ACI Africa that the community is grateful for the support of the Catholic Church.
He said the victims were specifically “very happy” with the 9/12 solidarity visit of archbishop Zolile Peter Mpambani of the Archdiocese of Bloemfontein, followed by the visit of a CJP delegation from SACBC.
Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Church communication. She has a degree in Social Communication from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ICA Africa.
