De-mining experts in a painstaking comb of a 1940s artillery firing range in Pretoria West have uncovered tons of live explosives and ammunition‚ with more expected to be unearthed in the next two months.
Tons of World War 2 explosives and ammunition are believed to buried in Elandsfontein 352-Jr‚ which the South African Defence Force used as a testing facility until the end of war in 1945.
The City of Tshwane wants to develop and build 400 low cost houses on the plot‚ but the blasts from the past has killed and maimed dozens nearby.
In July 2011 Bellinda Matsane’s husband‚ Amos Khoza‚ 37‚ and her four-year-old son‚ Njabulo‚ died from a mortar shell explosion when they lit a bonfire in their Phomolong informal settlement yard in Atteridgeville.
A Pretoria West scrap metal dealer was blown up in his workshop as he tried to cut open a mortar that landed in his shop early this year.
Denel’s de-mining arm Mechem‚ which has cleared explosives in the former war zones of African countries such as Angola‚ Mozambique and Sudan‚ is leading the project to clear the 674‚000 square kilometres area.
Twenty residents have been trained to do the search. Armed with magnetic metal detectors‚ they have covered 4‚000 square kilometres in the past month.
Impande Engineers‚ the developers awarded the tender to build the houses‚ is carrying the R1.2-million de-mining cost.
Kouwane Mashilo‚ Mechem’s explosive remnants of war expert‚ said when they find a live explosive they burn its fuse‚ which he said rendered it safe to handle‚ instead of exploding.
He‚ however‚ said this was not foolproof.
“There is a possibility of an explosion so we cover the place where we burn the explosives with sand bags and stand at a distance‚” he said.
Member of mayoral committee for safety‚ Terrence Mashigo‚ said next on their plan was to de-mine the area of Schurveberg‚ another firing range on which about 90‚000 squatters have built their homes.
“We buried a kid from that area last year. The child was playing and picked up something but it was a bomb and he was killed. I know the dangers of that area. The plan is that we will employ the same people to help out there‚” he said.
Experts help clear bombs in low cost housing areas of Tshwane
De-mining experts in a painstaking comb of a 1940s artillery firing range in Pretoria West have uncovered tons of live explosives and ammunition‚ with more expected to be unearthed in the next two months.
Tons of World War 2 explosives and ammunition are believed to buried in Elandsfontein 352-Jr‚ which the South African Defence Force used as a testing facility until the end of war in 1945.
The City of Tshwane wants to develop and build 400 low cost houses on the plot‚ but the blasts from the past has killed and maimed dozens nearby.
In July 2011 Bellinda Matsane’s husband‚ Amos Khoza‚ 37‚ and her four-year-old son‚ Njabulo‚ died from a mortar shell explosion when they lit a bonfire in their Phomolong informal settlement yard in Atteridgeville.
A Pretoria West scrap metal dealer was blown up in his workshop as he tried to cut open a mortar that landed in his shop early this year.
Denel’s de-mining arm Mechem‚ which has cleared explosives in the former war zones of African countries such as Angola‚ Mozambique and Sudan‚ is leading the project to clear the 674‚000 square kilometres area.
Twenty residents have been trained to do the search. Armed with magnetic metal detectors‚ they have covered 4‚000 square kilometres in the past month.
Impande Engineers‚ the developers awarded the tender to build the houses‚ is carrying the R1.2-million de-mining cost.
Kouwane Mashilo‚ Mechem’s explosive remnants of war expert‚ said when they find a live explosive they burn its fuse‚ which he said rendered it safe to handle‚ instead of exploding.
He‚ however‚ said this was not foolproof.
“There is a possibility of an explosion so we cover the place where we burn the explosives with sand bags and stand at a distance‚” he said.
Member of mayoral committee for safety‚ Terrence Mashigo‚ said next on their plan was to de-mine the area of Schurveberg‚ another firing range on which about 90‚000 squatters have built their homes.
“We buried a kid from that area last year. The child was playing and picked up something but it was a bomb and he was killed. I know the dangers of that area. The plan is that we will employ the same people to help out there‚” he said.
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