DURBAN - THE death of an employee at a KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo Wildlife resort, allegedly due to a gas explosion, has come under scrutiny following revelations that the nature conservation body was “aware” for a long time that there was a problem with its gas.
Environmental Affairs committee member Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha revealed in a committee meeting yesterday that a previous chief executive had complained about the installation of gas.
An employee at the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park sustained 90% burns to her body following a fire that broke out at the staff accommodation.
The fire, which began in the staff kitchen, is suspected to have been caused by a gas leak. The employee was airlifted to a Richards Bay hospital where she died on Sunday.
The Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs yesterday said an investigation was under way and that they would not want to pre-empt its findings. They said a new service provider had been appointed to fix the gas situation before the fire took place.
“A chief executive of Ezemvelo once told us that they were not happy about the way the gas was installed.
“We want to know what Ezemvelo has done since then to ensure that the place is safe for workers and visitors,” Sibhidla-Saphetha said.
It was not immediately clear when the previous chief executive complained or what the issue with the installation was.
Environmental Affairs MEC Ravi Pillay said the matter was being investigated by the police, and that the department had also launched its own internal probe.
“I don't want to pre-empt the report but I understand that the then service provider was terminated and a new service provider was appointed, and that was supposed to improve the service. But I have been informed that it is possible that the fire might not have been caused by any gas leakages (resulting from poor installation).”
DA committee member Heinz de Boer said he did not want to comment specifically on the incident, as it was under police investigation.
He said that as a committee, they should have been informed immediately if there was a problem, and not after someone had died.
“I am wondering why it has taken so long for the committee to be told about this, if the previous chief executive was complaining about the gas?”
The Mercury