"We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.” Preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Temporary theme parks are an accident waiting to happen

I’ve been complaining for years that these amusement parks that sprout up at Christmas time on open pieces of land all over SA are an accident waiting to happen. Most of the rides are clearly not safe, yet we continue to take our children to these potential death traps. Also worrying is that most of these parks are sanctioned by the local councils.

Yesterday forty-six-year-old Ernest Meyer, a Grade 7 natural sciences teacher and sports coach at Port Elizabeth Primary School, died when the 24-seater swing carousel he was riding landed on top of him. Seven of his colleagues, who were also on the ride, escaped with slight injuries.

I call on the Department of Labour and local councils to be more strict when it comes to policing safety at these parks as I believe it only a matter of time before more people are injured or killed.

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