DA approaches Mozambique Consul General seeking assistance to repatriate 14 victims of the Boksburg gas tragedy

11 July 2023

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has written to the Mozambique Consul General seeking assistance to repatriate 14 deceased bodies of the victims of a nitrate oxide gas leak.

Following a recent tragedy at the Angelo Informal Settlement in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, where 17 people lost their lives, and at least 16 were injured after a nitrate oxide gas leak.

Today, the DA visited the victims’ families and was informed that 14 of the deceased, including children and adults, are from Mozambique.

The victims’ families are in desperate need of financial assistance to transport their deceased family members to Mozambique for dignified burials.

The Gauteng Provincial Government had promised to assist the victims’ families in burying their loved ones; however, to date, nothing has happened. Instead, they only donated food parcels.

In addition, we have been informed by members of the community that illegal mining activities have resumed. The police patrols only lasted a day after the incident, which is a clear indication that innocent lives are in danger.

The DA demands that the Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, and the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko, engage the Provincial SAPS Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, to ensure police visibility in the area to curb illegal mining, which poses a danger to the lives of communities where these activities are taking place.

The DA will further engage with Premier Lesufi, MEC Mazibuko, and other relevant stakeholders to find a workable solution to curb illegal mining in Gauteng.

Issued by Solly Msimanga, Official Leader of the Opposition- Gauteng, 11 July 2023