Description

Badly installed substation generator leaves 4-yearold Trevin Coetzee blind: public protector's office asked to step in - child's face was crushed:
08 September 2010 source: Chitra Bodasing -
The public protector's office has been asked to step in to obtain a report from City Power relating to an accident involving a poorly-installed sub station which blocked so much of the road that the child's father collided with it.
On March 3, a bakkie collided with a sub station, said to be owned by City Power, in Sovereign Street in Kensington.
Bedfordview resident, Mr John Coetzee and his son Trevin (4), who were in the bakkie, were injured.While Mr Coetzee was discharged from hospital, Trevin was transferred from the Bedford Gardens Hospital to the Gardens Clinic ICU. The child had broken his collarbone, and suffered a crushed face and a squint eye.Councillor Milner, ward 66, believes that City Power and the contractor who installed the substation were negligent and she blamed them for the accident.
A resident in that area, Mr Donovan Mitchell, recently said that the substation was taking up most of the space on the pavement, making it dangerous for pedestrians to walk through.
He added that the substation was a danger to motorists because of its positioning.Clr Milner raised several questions and was told that an investigation was being conducted.
She asked for a report on that investigation, which she never received from City Power.Trevin's family had also not heard anything from City Power about the accident.In July this year City Power was informed that Clr Milner threatened to ask the public protector to ask for the report or file an application in terms of the Access to Information Act.
Following no response once again, Clr Milner met with an official from the public protector's office in August.She is currently awaiting feedback from the public protector's office.
In the meantime Trevin's family is in the process of suing City Power.Last week Ms Mejane Coetzee, Trevin's mother, said that they are busy communicating with their lawyers."Although Trevin is doing okay, he is now blind in one eye," she said.
The NEWS forwarded a query to Mr Louis Pieterse, from City Power, on September 8.This followed previous queries sent to him regarding this issue. No comment was received.
The NEWS also forwarded a query to Mr Oupa Segalwe, the communications manager at the public protector's office on September 7 to confirm how they are addressing Clr Milner's concerns.
No comment was received.
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