The mother of a teenager who fell into a pit of smouldering coals at an abandoned mine in Mpumalanga is concerned that her son could become paralysed if he does not receive the appropriate medical attention.
The 15-year-old grade 8pupil at Mehlwana High School in Phola, near Ogies, suffered third-degree burns after falling into the pit while hunting rabbits with his peers in an unrehabilitated mining area.
According to the boy’s mother, Qibela Hleza, the incident happened last October, resulting in the boy being hospitalised at the Life Cosmos Private Hospital in Emalahleni.
Despite the fact that the owner of the land has not been positively located, managers from the local mining business, Seriti Resources, promised to pay for Siboniso’s medical expenses and transport.
However, they stopped doing so in April when Siboniso started attending physiotherapy.
“After he was hurt, Seriti stepped up to help the family with the financial burden of medical expenditures and to provide transportation to the hospital. Unfortunately, they have stopped, and I don’t have a job. I’m worried that my son will be unable to function normally if he doesn’t keep going to physio,” she said.
The mother explained that the first physiotherapy session her son missed was scheduled for May 29. “The guys from Seriti were only helping out, and while I am grateful for their goodwill, I cannot force them to keep assisting us because they were only doing it out of the goodness of their hearts as Good Samaritans,” Hleza said.
Since the incident, Hleza’s son has been absent from school, which has caused her further distress. “He has been unable to attend school since October last year and throughout this academic year. As a mom who wishes to see her child get
better and go back to school, I am begging anyone who is in a position to help to do so. Without the physiotherapy sessions, my son is unable to stand for an extended period of time,” she said.
The boy said he accidentally fell into a hole as he and his friends were attempting to catch a rabbit.
“We were hunting with my friends, and the ground beneath me shifted and created a sink hole. I fell straight into the smouldering coals and got trapped. As I struggled to escape the opening, my hands and legs were severely burned,” he said.
The brave teenager had to figure out a means to get out of the hole while his friends went in search of assistance. After eventually freeing himself, he staggered towards an adjacent road, where a passing motorist picked him up and drove him to the hospital.
The coordinator of the Phola branch of Mining Affected Communities United in Action, Bongani Nkosi, said the organisation’s attorneys were working around the clock to discover who owns the land.
Nkosi said the inquiry into the incident had slowed down when the teen pointed out contradictory sites for the scene of the incident.
“It is true that the boy identified multiple locations, but we believe the area he is pointing to now is the correct one because his peers also pointed in the same direction.
“The area the boys showed us is not rehabilitated and lacks warning signs.”
Seriti spokesperson, Linda Khuluse, said the incident took place less than one kilometre away from the company’s operations, which means Seriti cannot be held liable.
According to a recent report by Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke, there are 6 100 abandoned mines and 1 170 mine openings throughout the country.
Maluleke pleaded with the government to hasten the process of rehabilitating abandoned mines, pointing out that the mines pose substantial hazards to the health, safety and environment of the people nearby.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa.
