In the past nine months, two children have drowned in abandoned, easily accessible mining quarries in the Eastern Cape. 

The Ngangelizwe swimming pool complex in Mthatha has shut down and is now a no-go zone as it is being used as a hideout for criminals.

The quarry near Mbuqe Extension in Mthatha was abandoned 10 years ago and has never been fenced off. The area is managed by the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality. With the pool closed, children have been coming to the quarry to swim. 

On 10 November, Asonele Mlindazwe (13), who was in Grade 8 at St John’s College, drowned here while swimming with his friends.

Asonele’s father, Luvuyo Mlindazwe, said he still can’t believe his son is gone. He said he was angry and that Asonele’s death could have been prevented.

“That quarry should have been closed a long time ago. The government should not take things for granted. Losing a child like that is very painful. 

“Asonele was at home watching the Cricket World Cup when his friends arrived and said they were going swimming. He never came back. His friends brought his clothes home and told the family that he drowned.”

Mlindazwe said his son’s body was found at midnight the next day.

Another Mbuqe Extension resident, Mnoneleli Vundle, has pleaded with authorities to safeguard the suburb’s children by closing the quarry.

“Government officials must take responsibility for protecting their community. As a community we would be very happy if the municipality could build a swimming pool for our kids,” he added.

Residents from the Gxulu Administration area are facing similar problems at the African Mining and Crushing (AMC) quarry. 

The abandoned AMC mining quarry in Libode, Eastern Cape, where Odwa Ndamase (13) drowned in February 2023. On 10 November 2023, Asonele Mlindazwe (13), who was in Grade 8 at St John’s College, drowned at a quarry near Mbuqe Extension in Mthatha. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase)

In February this year, Odwa Ndamase (13) drowned in the quarry that had been abandoned in 2021. Residents have been calling on local government authorities to close the quarry, but to no avail.

Zameka Mrawushe, ward 29 councillor from the Gxulu Administration Area in Libode, under the Nyandeni municipality, said the AMC quarry was hazardous to both people and animals.

“The AMC quarry stopped working a few years ago after a dispute between the quarry management and Gxulu community members after they failed to employ local people,” Mrawushe said.

“After they stopped operating, they put fencing around the quarry, but the fence was stolen. That quarry now is very dangerous, especially for children,” she said.

“We have approached authorities about this problem and residents are calling for the closure of the quarry because young children are at great risk of drowning there.”

Ndamase’s mother, Nwabisa Makhunga, said it’s still difficult to accept the death of her son.

“Every time I pass that AMC quarry, I remember how he died. It is my sincere wish that it be closed,” she said. 

At the time of his death, Ndamase was in Grade 9 at Upper Corana Senior Secondary School.

On Tuesday, 21 November, another two children drowned in the province, this time in a dam in the Ludaka locality. Ludaka also falls under the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality. 

The children were reportedly playing in the water when they failed to resurface. A third child ran home to get help. A search was launched and the bodies of the two victims were later found floating in the dam. 

An inquest docket has been opened. Police are urging parents not to allow their children to swim unsupervised in dams.

King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality communications head, Sonwabo Mampoza, said they were in the process of upgrading the Ngangelizwe swimming pool complex. 

“The plan is still a draft plan,” he said, adding that it would form part of a bigger upgrade of buildings surrounding it.

“The quarry is an old quarry on open land. The municipality has decided to close the quarry … and will take responsibility to avoid further incidents,” he said.

Referring to the former AMC quarry in which Odwa Ndamase drowned, Ncebakazi Kolwana from the Nyandeni Municipality said: “We are not aware of the incident. The quarry is on communal land and therefore not within our line of responsibilities.”

AMC’s Uyanda Hogana said the company left the quarry when its contract ended in 2020.

“Our contract with Grand Wave Quarries was terminated on 25 February 2020 as they had intentions of operating the quarry on their own, which was done soon after we had removed our equipment and personnel from the site.

“Whilst we were still operating at the quarry, we ensured full compliance to health and safety of personnel as well as that of community members… as a result, the mining area was fenced and water was continuously pumped from the quarry.

“Since we ceased operations in February 2020, and Grand Wave Quarries continued operating after we had de-established our equipment and personnel; we are not in a position to comment about the sad incident that occurred,” Hogana said.

Grand Wave Quarries did not respond to a request for comment. DM