A family member of one of the eight Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) explosion victims, said the day her loved one’s life was taken, still replays itself in her heard daily.
Yesterday was the fourth anniversary of the deadly explosion at the plant near Somerset West. The Department of Labour is yet to release the investigation report on what went wrong that day.
Deidre Jansen lost family member Jamie Haydricks, 24, in the explosion. She said the family’s lives had not been the same since.
“At 15.28, on a Monday we heard that loud bang; we stood outside the gate to try to see what was happening,” she said.
The family’s world came crashing down when they heard the news.
“We will never forget it, I don’t think we ever will.” said Jansen.
Jansen joined the families of victims Bradley Tandy, 18, Steve Isaacs, 51, Triston Davids, 22, Nico Samuels, 41, Jason Hartzenberg, 21, Mxolisi Sigadla, 40, and Thando Mankayi, 25, at the site, where a memorial wall was unveiled at the state-owned plant.
Jansen said they had been struggling to accept the father of two’s death. They visited the site every year, and still had many unanswered questions.
“The reason why we can’t move past that day is because we still do not know what happened. When I close my eyes, I can see that day, the families standing outside, waiting to hear what had happened. We are still waiting, that's why it's our plea that those who are investigating get done, so we can heal a bit.”
Jansen said that RDM had stripped a young man from his family and his future.
“Jamie had plans to get married, and buy a house for his children and girlfriend. He had dreams, but it was all taken away.
“What other evidence does the company still need? Isn't it evidence enough that our family members died on this premises? They need to take responsibility.”
As the family of the youngest of the victims, Bradley Tandy, walked towards the memorial wall, raindrops began to fall.
Tandy’s mom, Susan, was inconsolable, while his older brother, Brendon Manuel, explained that the family had suffered two losses because of the incident.
“My brother's death affected us tremendously. Within a space of 11 months, our youngest brother, Mario Tandy, died under a car.
“He couldn't handle Bradley’s death. He wouldn't speak to us at all after the incident, and one day, just before the anniversary of Bradley’s death, he said he missed our brother and threw himself under a car,” said Manuel, as tears welled in his eyes.
“Closure, that's all we want, nothing more. The four years that has passed haven't been any easier since the day he died. It's not only about how he died, it's about who was left behind and how it's affecting us, that's why we want to know.”
Rhoda-Ann Bazier, the deputy chairperson of the Greater Macassar Association, and the spokesperson for the affected families, said while the families were thankful for the gesture the company had offered, they still needed closure.
“These families couldn’t even see their loved ones for the last time before they were laid to rest, so we will never know their pain. They are also still waiting on the labour department’s report, which was supposed to be released in April, but was not,” Bazier said.
“They are looking for answers as to what caused the explosion, and they want the company to be held liable.”
Milan Bohacek, the chief financial adviser for RDM, welcomed the families, saying that the company was working on making amends.
“What we have done here is just a little, it won't bring them back, but we have these walls to remember them in a special way,” he said.
Bohacek said he could feel the pain when he looked at the faces of the grieving families and heard their cries.
“I may not know exactly how you feel, but I can relate. We also tried to listen to the calls from all of you, and that's why on Monday you will be able to visit the place where it happened, to help deal with it.”
Terry Crawford-Browne, from World Beyond War (WBW), a global non-violent movement to end war, also called for RDM to be more open and transparent about the incident.
“Today we acknowledge the workers who lost their lives, and pay tribute to their families gathered here who still suffer the appalling conduct of our national, provincial and municipal governments in colluding with the RDM cover-up,” Crawford-Browne said, which was why WBW aimed to support the families.
“The important thing is that we keep on supporting those left behind. These people have all become one family, brought together by the loss of their loved ones, and they will always need support.”