Local rugby club on board with investigations into the death of a three-year-old
The metro and owners of the scrum machine which allegedly left a toddler dead discuss security measures to ensure this is not a reoccurrence.
Following the death of Yurna Mahumane (3), who lost his life last Saturday at Germiston Stadium after a scrum machine allegedly rolled over the left side of his torso, the GCN contacted the metro for comment on the incident regarding the machine and why it had been left unattended.
According to Themba Gadebe, spokesperson for the metro, the machine belongs to Germiston Simmer Rugby Club, and it is normally left on the rugby field after rugby practice as it is used often for practice purposes.
“To prevent injuries and fatalities caused by the scrum machine in future, the metro had a meeting last Monday with Germiston Simmer Rugby Club officials. As owners of the machine, they made a commitment to lock the machine away and cover it after each practice,” said Gadebe.
The GCN contacted the rugby club to get clarity on the use of the machine and why no security measures had been established to prevent patrons from fiddling with it when visiting the stadium.
René Audier from Germiston Simmer Rugby Club said, “Firstly, the club extends condolences to the family of the toddler who died.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic happening.
“As much as the club was not present at the event held at the stadium on the day, we will cooperate with any investigation to establish the cause of this tragedy.
“We will work with stadium management to ensure measures are implemented to prevent similar instances in future.”
The club confirmed to the GCN that the machine has not been phased-out and is still in use as they frequently use it when training scrummaging techniques and it was not deemed dangerous.
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“The machine is braked and so it does not build up momentum, it has to be pushed in order to keep moving, these two characteristics ensure the risk of ‘runaway’ is removed,” said Audier.
“The machine is, therefore, not classed as dangerous.
“In light of the fact that we do not know the details of the unfortunate incident, we cannot at this stage comment on what made this machine part of it.
“The machine is stored on the periphery of the B field, on level ground and storage is guided by demarcation of the field as per our field marking rules.”
Audier continued in saying reoccurring incidences of theft have seen them lose chains and locks intended as security measures for the scrum machine.
“The club is very keen to understand the circumstances that led to the tragic death of the toddler so we can put measures in place to prevent this situation from reoccurring,” he said.
Furthermore, Audier confirmed they, together with the metro, were currently in discussions to address the immediate issue of safe storage and security, as well as to comply with recommendations coming out of the investigation.
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