While eight-year-old Siphesihle Magubane was playing with his friends on Monday afternoon, he tripped and fell on an open electricity power box, which electrocuted him.
Siphesihle lay unconscious after being electrocuted on Seme Street in Mohlakeng, Randfontein, west of Johannesburg.
A few minutes later, his family removed him from the power box and placed him on a patch of grass. They started performing CPR on him in a bid to resuscitate the young boy.
Declared dead at local clinic
The family then rushed him to Mohlakeng Clinic, where he was declared dead on arrival.
The information was revealed to Sunday World by Siphesihle’s aunt Lindiwe Magubane, 37. This newspaper visited the family at their Mohlakeng home on Wednesday.
Siphesihle’s mother Gugulethu Magubane, 30, was too distraught to speak. He was in Grade 2 at Malerato Primary School in Mohlakeng.
The open, unattended electricity power box is situated next to the ward councillor’s house.
Lindiwe said the family is shattered by Siphesihle’s death.
“What makes me sad is that the municipality in their media statement said parents should watch their children. If that box was not open, our son would not have died.
“He was going to trip and fall, and not die. They cannot say parents must educate children about where to play. The municipality must do its job. They must be held accountable.
Municipality accused of blaming parents
“They cannot shift the blame on parents. The municipality must tell their employees to do their work and not leave electric power boxes open and unattended. If this box was not open and unattended, this death could have been avoided. This was just negligence by the municipality,” said Lindiwe.
Magubane said the police have opened an inquest docket into Siphesihle’s death.
Two community members spoke to Sunday World on condition of anonymity. They said the power box has been open and unattended for “many years”. But they do not know the number of years the electric power box has been left open and unattended.
Ward councillor in the area, Pio Faku, said he does not know for how many years the power box has been open.
Faku said he has received complaints from community members about the dangers posed by the open power box. He said he escalated the complaints to the Rand West city local municipality.
Ward councillor admits box has been open for years
Faku said he has been a ward councillor in the area since August 2016.
Rand West city local municipality spokesperson Violet Nqina said the municipality urges caution to parents. She said parents and the community need to educate and reprimand children from playing near or with electrical boxes. Nqina said it’s because these pose a serious danger.
“Electricians were on site to assess and ensure that there are more safer measures. The Rand West city local municipality will thoroughly investigate the reasons behind the electric box being left open. Appropriate consequence management measures will be implemented against those responsible.
“Furthermore, the city acknowledges its responsibility in this matter. And it is committed to taking corrective action. The municipality is committed to a transparent process. And it will continue working closely with the family until this matter is fully resolved,” said Nqina.
When Sunday World visited the area on Wednesday afternoon, the electric power box was closed. An industrial aluminium rope was tied around it.
