Death toll at Manie Mulder rises again

In what seems to be becoming a monthly occurrence, another life has tragically been lost at Manie Mulder Adventure Park.
The beauty of the reserve and its rich history are now being eclipsed by an air of tragedy as the fifth body in less than six months was retrieved from the Manie Mulder waters on Sunday, 18 April. Spokesperson for the Roodepoort Police, Captain Juanita Yorke, was on scene with the station’s K9 Search and Rescue Team and the Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch when the man’s body was pulled from the water.

The man was found in full church attire, down to the cross around his neck, so it is believed that the victim was another pilgrim who accidentally drowned while trying to perform a religious ceremony. The belief that the waters of Manie Mulder are holy has attracted pilgrims seeking to use the water for baptisms and ceremonies. Despite numerous attempts from the police, RNW, and Florence Roberts (the Ward 83 councillor) to warn the pilgrims against the dangers of going into the water at night, their desperate pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

It is unclear whether the victim fell from the top of the waterfall due to lack of visibility or if he took a wrong step and was caught in the 5m deep trench many have lost their lives to, but Captain Yorke has assured the community that an inquest docket has been opened and investigations are under way.

While sadness at another death is a widely spread emotion among those who protect the park, anger is bubbling over. “The problem is not that they are pilgrims performing ceremonies. We respect their religion and want to make it safe for them to practice. The problem is that the City has not done anything to prevent these drownings from happening,” said Florence, regretfully. “There is only the manager of the park and one patroller to monitor the entire area; the other patrollers are voluntary or hired through RNW and other conservation groups,” she continued, urging the Department of Community Development to implement more security.

Andreas Oberlechner, chairman of RNW, shared in Florence’s anger, agreeing that safety precautions need to be implemented and education needs to be aimed at the pilgrims. “We have tried to tell them not to go into the water at night, but they don’t seem to be listening,” he said. The pilgrims often enter the park illegally under the cover of darkness, so if something happens, their bodies are only found the following morning.

RNW, Florence and the Roodepoort Police have expressed their deepest condolences to the family of the departed and have warned against going into the water at Manie Mulder at night. The MMC for Community Development, Councillor Margaret Arnolds, has been approached for comment on these drownings but by the time of publication, none had been received.