Child drowned at construction site abandoned by City of Ekurhuleni

The site at Labore Industrial Park where seven-year-old Tumelo Maseko drowned. Photos: Kimberly Mutandiro.

On 11 October, seven-year-old Tumelo Maseko left his Tsakane home to play with his friends. While his family thought he was playing nearby, the children headed to an abandoned construction site near Geluksdal to swim in trenches filled with rainwater.

Regina Mnguni, Tumelo’s aunt, said the family received the news later that day that Tumelo had drowned. He was laid to rest last week.

The community reported the matter to the Department of Environmental Affairs.

Construction at the City of Ekurhuleni’s Labore Industrial Park site started in 2020, stopped during the covid pandemic, resumed in 2021, and was abandoned in 2022, according to residents.

Former workers at the site told GroundUp the trench where Maseko drowned had been dug for foundation work.

“We downed tools at times due to payment delays, but eventually we were paid. My hope was to see the project to completion and to get a permanent job at the industrial site, but the project stopped,” said Kholofelo Ramoshaba.

Randy Hobbs, chairperson of People Against Bullying At Schools, said children from Geluksdal took to swimming in the trenches because the local pool was not operational for years. He said the community tried to stop them. That some children came from as far as Tsakane to swim only became known after Maseko drowned.

Hobbs and Siyabonga Nkabinde, from the Tsakane community policing forum, said the community wants the old trenches to be filled in.

“What they must do now is find a way to just close all these trenches,” said Nkabinde.

Gauteng Department of Environment spokesperson Andile Gumede said a directive was issued on 13 October against the City over safety issues at the site, which was left abandoned by it. Gumede said the site must be immediately fenced off and the trenches closed and rehabilitated until the City is ready to develop the site. The City’s Economic Development Department is reponsible for the site.

He said a site inspection on 22 October revealed non-compliance with this directive.

“The trenches are still not closed and the site is not fenced and rehabilitated as directed.”

He said the City is obliged to comply with the conditions contained in an Environmental Authorisation issued in June 2022.

He said his department had received no representations, requests for extensions, or objections from the City.

“Therefore, the matter will be referred to enforcement for criminal prosecution,” said Gumede.

The City had not commented at the time of publication.

The abandoned Labore Industrial Park site.

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