Jagersfontein

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title: "Jagersfontein" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-the-kopanong-local-municipality", "karoo", "populated-places-established-in-1852", "1852-establishments-in-africa"] topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-the-kopanong-local-municipality" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagersfontein" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameJagersfontein
pushpin_mapSouth Africa Free State#South Africa
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameSouth Africa
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Free State
subdivision_type2District
subdivision_name2Xhariep
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Kopanong
subdivision_type4Main Place
established_titleEstablished
established_date1852
government_typeMunicipality
leader_partyANC
leader_titleMayor
leader_namexolani stalin-tseletsele
area_footnotes
area_total_km245.5
population_footnotes
population_total5729
population_as_of2011
population_density_km2auto
demographics_type1Racial makeup (2011)
demographics1_footnotes
demographics1_title1Black African
demographics1_info180.9%
demographics1_title2Coloured
demographics1_info212.5%
demographics1_title3Indian/Asian
demographics1_info30.5%
demographics1_title4White
demographics1_info45.6%
demographics1_title5Other
demographics1_info50.5%
demographics_type2First languages (2011)
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1Sotho
demographics2_info151.8%
demographics2_title2Afrikaans
demographics2_info225.3%
demographics2_title3Xhosa
demographics2_info311.2%
demographics2_title4Tswana
demographics2_info46.5%
demographics2_title5Other
demographics2_info55.2%
timezone1SAST
utc_offset1+2
postal_code_typePostal code (street)
postal_code9974
postal2_code_typePO box
postal2_code9974
area_code_typeArea code
area_code051
::

| name = Jagersfontein | pushpin_map = South Africa Free State#South Africa | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = South Africa | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Free State | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Xhariep | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = Kopanong | subdivision_type4 = Main Place | established_title = Established | established_date = 1852 | government_type = Municipality | leader_party = ANC | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = xolani stalin-tseletsele | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 45.5 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 5729 | population_as_of = 2011 | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011) | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Black African | demographics1_info1 = 80.9% | demographics1_title2 = Coloured | demographics1_info2 = 12.5% | demographics1_title3 = Indian/Asian | demographics1_info3 = 0.5% | demographics1_title4 = White | demographics1_info4 = 5.6% | demographics1_title5 = Other | demographics1_info5 = 0.5% | demographics_type2 = First languages (2011) | demographics2_footnotes = | demographics2_title1 = Sotho | demographics2_info1 = 51.8% | demographics2_title2 = Afrikaans | demographics2_info2 = 25.3% | demographics2_title3 = Xhosa | demographics2_info3 = 11.2% | demographics2_title4 = Tswana | demographics2_info4 = 6.5% | demographics2_title5 = Other | demographics2_info5 = 5.2% | timezone1 = SAST | utc_offset1 = +2 | postal_code_type = Postal code (street) | postal_code = 9974 | postal2_code_type = PO box | postal2_code = 9974 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 051 Jagersfontein is a small town in the Free State province of South Africa.

Origin

The original farm on which the town stands was once the property of a Griqua Jacobus Jagers, hence the name Jagersfontein. He sold the farm to C.F. Visser in 1854.

Mining

Diamond rush

A diamond rush started in 1870 after farmer J.J. de Klerk found a 50 carat (10 g) diamond. This was about three years before diamonds were discovered 130 km away at Kimberley.

Jagersfontein is known for many great finds, such as:

Jagersfontein Mine

Main article: Jagersfontein Mine

Jagersfontein Mine together with the Koffiefontein mine produced some of the clearest diamonds of all mines in the early 1900s, despite being overshadowed by the mines at Kimberley. Streeter called Jagersfontein's diamonds of the "first water".

The Reitz diamond was first named after Francis William Reitz, then state president of the Orange Free State in which Jagersfontein is located. The following year marked the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria (the 60th anniversary of her coronation) so the gem was renamed the Jubilee Diamond to commemorate the occasion.

Main Pit Operations

The Jagersfontein Mine is currently the deepest hand-excavated hole in the world.

For the duration of the mine's operational history, it was run by De Beers up to 1972, when it was deproclaimed. De Beers did however retain prospecting rights on the property until 2002.

Stockpile Dumps Reprocessing

A court case, De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd v Ataqua Mining (Pty) Ltd, in December 2007,related to historic stockpile dumps were found not subject to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act. All standard National Environmental Management Act processes however still applied.

Limited Reprocessing operations at the mine was eventually started in September 2010 by a company named Son Op before it changed its name to Jagersfontein Development. Reinet Investments of Luxembourg became involved around 2011, but eventually sold out to Stargems Group around early 2022.

Tailings dam collapse

Main article: 2022 Jagersfontein Dam Collapse

At around 6am on Sunday 11 September 2022, parts of a tailings dam collapsed on the outskirts of Jagersfontein.

| image1 = Jagersfontein Mine dam before collapse.jpg | caption1 = The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired the image on 10 September 2022, the day before the dam collapse. | image2 = Jagersfontein Mine dam after collapse.jpg | caption2 = Almost one month after the collapse, satellite images show that the landscape remains altered by the coating of sludge. The Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) on Landsat 9 acquired this image on 4 October 2022. | align = center | total_width = 600

Urban electrification

Jagersfontein was the second town in South Africa and the first town in the Orange Free State to have electricity and piped water.

In the early years, water used to be supplied with a unique system of coin-operated water pumps, using so-called Water Pennies, situated on street corners.

References

References

  1. Robson, Linda Gillian. (2011). "The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact". University of Pretoria.
  2. link. (2014-01-06)
  3. Sum of the Main Places [http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/461008 Jagersfontein] and [http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/461009 Itumeleng] from Census 2011.
  4. Streeter, Edwin. (1898). "Precious Stones and Gems - Their History, Sources and Characteristics". George Bell & Sons.
  5. [http://famousdiamonds.tripod.com/jubileediamond.html The Jubilee Diamond]
  6. "De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd v Ataqua Mining (Pty) Ltd and Others (3215/06) [2007] ZAFSHC 74 (13 December 2007)".
  7. (12 December 2007). "De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd v Ataqua Mining (Pty) Ltd and others".
  8. (8 July 2020). "The Unregulated Terrain of Historic Mine Dumps in South Africa".
  9. "Engineering News - 'Historic dumps' do not appear to be MPRDA regulated – law firm".
  10. (January 2010). "Status of tailings dumps : Let's go working in the past?". Stellenbosch Law Review.
  11. [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20050221083602651C821320 IOL: Free State town forgotten in history]
  12. "Three dead after dam wall collapse wreaks havoc in Jagersfontein".
  13. (11 September 2022). "South Africa mine dam wall collapses, killing 1 and injuring 40". Reuters.
  14. "Mining company says deadly dam wall collapse will be investigated".
  15. "Jagersfontein disaster: Dubai-based owner says survey showed dam was 'safe, secure'".
  16. "Owners of Jagersfontein mine dam were warned to stabilise wall - FS govt".
  17. (11 September 2022). "Tailings dam in South Africa collapses - several dead".
  18. (12 September 2022). "JAGERSFONTEIN DISASTER: Owners of Free State diamond mine 'were warned to cease operations two years ago'".
  19. "Jagersfontein Developments: Operations at mine were above aboard".
  20. (13 September 2022). "JAGERSFONTEIN DISASTER : Mantashe says 'dangerous' high court judgment crippled his department's jurisdiction over all tailings dams".
  21. (January 2018)
  22. [http://www.tokencoins.com/gr07.htm#jagers Some rare South African tokens from the Nomansland region]

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populated-places-in-the-kopanong-local-municipalitykaroopopulated-places-established-in-18521852-establishments-in-africa