Five men aged between 34 and 80 are to appear in court in connection with the alleged 2022 Jagersfontein dam wall collapse which claimed the lives of three people and left several properties damaged.
This comes after 200 houses in Charlesville at Jagersfontein were destroyed or damaged when a tailings dam wall broke.
Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli, spokesperson of the Hawks, said the summonses follow an intensive criminal investigation by the Hawks and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has ordered that the suspects appear in the Jagersfontein Magistrates Court on 10 September.
The suspects, who are employees of an engineering company, a compliance officer, and an operations manager, will face charges including murder, malicious damage to property, and contravention of the Health and Safety Act.
Acting Free State Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Brigadier Xolani Matroos has praised everyone involved in the criminal investigation for their hard work.
