Pretoria - The quarry in Mamelodi where two boys died last year continues to pose a serious threat to the community and several shacks have become waterlogged as its water level rises.
Residents of Skierlik Informal Settlement said a contractor building a road in the area created the quarry and its water level had risen to surround shacks and render them inhabitable.
Moreover, the fence erected around the quarry after the accident had collapsed in places making the quarry easily accessible and again a danger to the community. The fence was erected only after a public outcry that the quarry had not been fenced off before the tragedy.
ActionSA regional chairperson Oupa Mathibela was called to the community by local leaders last week to see another potentially dangerous situation at the very spot where the lifeless bodies of 5-year-old Tony Lawrence Tshwenu and Siyabonga Mabila, 7, were pulled out of the quarry after they apparently went for a swim.
When Mathibela responded, another contractor in Mamelodi east rushed to swiftly close and cordon off two trenches that were filling with water and posing a threat to learners from the nearby Mahlasedi Masana Primary School.
Last week, Mathibela said it was not right that this sort of thing continued to happen, and when lives were lost municipalities paid compensation and covered funeral costs, while politicians saved face by offering condolences to the families of the deceased.
“There is a serious danger here. As you can see, there are structures that are inside water here. We have been given a number, that there are about 88 people that are in immediate danger, especially as it is going to start raining,” Mathibela said.
“It is sad that we are talking about these issues of quarries and trenches every day but they are still here. Children drowned here and people came and offered condolences and we spoke about the incident, but nothing came of it. It is sad that the City (of Tshwane) is allowing things like this to happen. They could have come to make sure nothing like this continues to happen and that this area is properly barricaded.”
Residents Thomas Madinga and Katlego Mabe said the quarry was not the only one in the area; there were many others created by people coming with trucks to mine sand.
MMC for Human Settlements Abel Tau, who joined Mathibela in his capacity as an ActionSA member of council, said the area had a serious problem of illegal sand mining. He said the City needed to take serious measures to impound trucks brought by people mining sand in the area.
Tau has undertaken to approach the contractor with a view to ensuring that excavating for construction sand does not leave the community of Skierlik in Pienaarspoort in such difficult living conditions.
Tau will also, through the planning division, ensure that shack-marking is conducted for the purpose of relocating the affected members of the community to a nearby identified site.
Pretoria News