Barricade Power Park Dam and the Abandoned Buildings for Safety in Orlando East

On Sep 1, 2024 the search for a missing boy in Orlando East, Soweto ended after two days when his body was found in an old abandoned power station. Reports by Daily Sun and SABC News say the boy was playing with friends when he fell in [2]. The Municipality  has a clear responsibility to minimise the dangers faced by its residents. 

Abandoned buildings should not be so easily accessible. The Municipality must lock these spaces and cover water bodies in the area. We have seen countless cases over the years of people’s lifeless bodies being pulled from streams, rivers, dams and other abandoned or open areas like irrigation canals. Many of these locations are either state-owned property, or the Municipality should make it their priority to safeguard residents where private land-owners refuse or remain negligent. South Africa has a great amount of public facilities that remain either inaccessible, or badly maintained where with enough effort, every South African can be taught how to swim. In the meantime, to keep people safe there needs to be another safety structure put in place. 

The Municipality can not continue to foster a culture that neglects the safety of its residents. They must ensure that every space in Power Park that poses a danger is immediately addressed. The cost of the Municipality of Johannesburg’s negligence is the loss of life. The site of this tragedy is an old power station located in a popular tourist area. Visitors enjoy the beauty of our country, but this privilege does not extend to local families. While wealthier children play freely, those from low-income homes live in constant worry about their safety. 

This luxury does not extend to the people whose homes appear in the back of these tourists' photos. Their peers from more affluent backgrounds get to run and play freely, children from low income homes and their families are always concerned about where, if not in their homes, people are safe. 

Families in these communities are under immense stress to provide for their children while facing challenges like dilapidated buildings and exposed wires. This situation limits children’s opportunities to experience the joys of growing up in South Africa, a country filled with potential.

There are fewer and fewer spaces for children to have clean, safe fun, the youth are watching their friends fall to their deaths seeking entertainment. September usually marks the beginning of Springtime and fun in the sun for kids across South Africa. As the new season approaches, children should look forward to playing outside. It is unacceptable that parents cannot allow their kids to enjoy simple freedoms because of the municipality's negligence regarding safety measures, such as barricading and covering hazardous areas like the Power Park Dam.

It is unacceptable for figures such as the spokesperson for EMS to place the sole responsibility of ensuring the safety of the city’s residents on their guardians and loved ones [1]. The Municipality has the duty to minimise the role they play in endangering the people by neglecting to close off dangerous buildings. It is also their responsibility to ensure that private property owners are held to the same standard.

Lock up the death duplexes, cover the water. The lives of residents in Soweto are worth investing in. 

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