Denel must play open cards with public regarding explosion

4 September 2018

The explosion at the Denel Rheinmettal munitions plant at Macassar near Cape Town raises serious questions about the operational safety at the plant and Denel has an obligation toward the public and their staff to play open cards about the incident.

At this stage, the information on the explosion remains vague and there is still no certainty about how many people were killed.

Dr Pieter Groenewald, leader of the FF Plus, is an expert in the field of manufacturing and storing explosives and he says that when one works with explosives, there are very strict safety measures that must be complied with in accordance with the Explosives Act.

If the prescriptions of the Act were strictly adhered to, for example, regarding the number of explosives at a specific point, the chances of an accident like the one that occurred in Cape Town and the associated loss of life are very slim.

Dr Groenewald says that, therefore, the questions posed to Denel regarding the explosion are valid and justified. These questions include the training of staff and whether the prescriptions for storing explosives were adhered to.

The FF Plus would like to express its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the people who were injured or killed in the incident.

Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus leader, 4 September 2018