TODDLER’S THIGH BROKEN
Published: Thursday, 2013/05/30
LITTLE Samantha Matjila (2) may never walk properly again.
A big concrete water pipe fell on her while she was playing at her home in extension 24, Olivenhoutbosch, north of Joburg.
Her mother, Sylvia (34), said the contractor, Patrick Makgoka Construction CC, was negligent and that the site manager, Mpho Shokane, refused to take responsibility for the injury.
Sylvia said her yard was on a steep slope.
“We don’t have a gate and they left the pipe on higher ground in front of my yard,
“The stone used to stop the pipe rolling wasn’t strong enough,” she said.
Samantha was playing in the yard on the evening of 15 May.
“I was chatting to my neighbour when I saw the pipe rolling towards my child,” she said.
I tried to save her but the the pipe rolled on the child,” she said.
Her neighbour got the pipe off the child. Samantha was rushed to Kalafong Hospital .She’s still in hospital with a broken thigh.
Makgoka said he was never told about the incident. After speaking to Shokane, he said children had moved the pipes.
“They removed stones that were balancing the pipes, so the pipe rolled down,” he said.
He said he would meet the family to resolve the matter.
