We, the undersigned citizens of South Africa, respectfully petition the Parliament to address the dire situation surrounding the Witherow Dam Quarry in Heidedal, Bloemfontein, a site that has tragically earned the moniker "Quarry of Death." For decades, this abandoned quarry has posed a lethal threat to our community, claiming numerous lives, including that of 26-year-old Dustin Kukari on June 13, 2023, and leaving countless families in grief. Despite years of activism and pleas for intervention, the quarry remains unsecured, unrehabilitated, and a persistent danger to residents, particularly children, due to its perilous waters and lack of adequate safety measures.

 

Background:

The Witherow Dam Quarry, located a mere 500 meters from the nearest residential unit in the centre of a densely populated area, has been a hazard since at least the 1970s. Once owned by Tongaat Huletts and sold to Imbazo Trading 16 cc in 2004 for a reported R100, the site has been subject to inadequate oversight and alleged breaches of rehabilitation conditions. Today, it sits adjacent to an empty industrial building and a Twin City-owned mall, both constructed without thorough Environmental Impact Assessments, exacerbating community concerns. The absence of a functional local swimming pool, combined with Bloemfontein’s sweltering summers, drives children to the quarry’s deadly waters, while its unsecured state has also fostered criminal activity, including the discovery of human remains in 2021.

 

Our Concerns:

Loss of Life: The quarry has claimed multiple lives due to drownings, with no effective measures implemented to prevent further tragedies.Lack of Accountability: Licensing agreements and rehabilitation requirements have been ignored or inadequately enforced, leaving the site in a state of neglect.

Environmental and Safety Negligence: Developments around the quarry have proceeded without proper environmental scrutiny, endangering the community further.

Community Vulnerability: The absence of secure fencing, warning signs, or regular patrols has turned the quarry into a death trap, particularly for children.

 

Our Requests:

We humbly urge Parliament to take the following actions:

Immediate Safety Measures: Mandate the installation of secure fencing, clear warning signage, and regular security patrols around the Witherow Dam Quarry to prevent unauthorized access and further loss of life.

Full Rehabilitation: Enforce the rehabilitation of the quarry site as per original licensing conditions, including safely managing the water body, and hold all responsible parties—past and present—accountable for compliance.

Independent Investigation: Launch an inquiry into the sale of the quarry land from Tongaat Huletts to Imbazo Trading 16 cc, as well as subsequent developments, to uncover any irregularities or failures in oversight, and ensure transparency for the public.

Community Support: Allocate funds for adequate repairs of the Heidedal public swimming facility to provide a safe recreational alternative for residents, particularly children, reducing the temptation of the quarry’s waters.

Legislative Review: Strengthen laws and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that abandoned miningl sites across South Africa are secured and rehabilitated promptly, preventing similar tragedies in other communities.

 

Conclusion:

The Heidedal community has suffered enough. Silence and inaction have proven deadly, and the time for accountability is now. We implore Parliament to act swiftly to protect our lives, restore dignity to our community, and ensure that no more families endure the anguish of losing loved ones to this forsaken quarry. Let the "Quarry of Death" become a relic of the past, replaced by a legacy of safety, justice, and care for the people of South Africa.Signed,