The Jagersfontein Tailings Dam Failure Investigation

On 29 October 2025, the University of Pretoria hosted a lecture titled The Jagersfontein Tailings Dam Failure Investigation, presented by Professor S.W. Jacobsz with co-authors Luis Alberto Torres-Cruz and Christopher O’Donovan.

The session revisited the catastrophic failure of the Jagersfontein tailings dam in South Africa’s Free State province, which occurred in September 2022 and released more than 6 million cubic metres of liquid sludge. Through detailed analysis and discussion, the presenters offered valuable insights into the causes of the failure, the lessons learned, and the broader implications for dam safety and management.

Held in a hybrid format at the Engineering 3 Lecture Hall on the Hatfield Campus, the event attracted both in-person and online participants, reflecting strong ongoing interest in improving dam design, monitoring, and governance to prevent future failures.