Eight days after a devastating incident at uShaka Marine World, the family of 36-year-old Junaid Singh is still waiting for answers. Singh, who remains hospitalised and has undergone several operations, was seriously injured on Sunday, 5 January when the water supply to a slide was allegedly shut off without warning.
Despite the severity of the situation, uShaka Marine World has yet to issue an explanation, statement, or acknowledgment, leaving the Singh family angry, frustrated, and demanding accountability.
Singh, currently at Entabeni Hospital undergoing operations for his leg and back injuries, was left traumatised from the incident and is filled with worry as it has resulted in him being unable to work and provide for his family.
Speaking to the Phoenix Tabloid, Singh’s sister, Rohwida Nazeer, expressed shock and frustration over the lack of communication from uShaka Marine World following the incident.
“More than a week has passed, and we still have not received any communication from uShaka. We’ve seen on several media platforms that uShaka stated they would release a statement on Friday, 10 January but nothing has been posted. It’s absolutely absurd that an incident this severe has not received any acknowledgment from their communications department. My brother has already endured so much because of this, and the fact that uShaka seems indifferent to the extent of his injuries is beyond comprehension. What if something worse had happened? Would they have responded then?”
Nazeer criticised the lack of formal communication to patrons at the time of the incident, noting that hundreds of visitors were at the park.
“After the incident, we were told that the staff informally called out to patrons, warning them not to go on the slides. However, there were so many people at uShaka that many, including us, didn’t receive the message. There were no official announcements, no caution tape, and no barricades to alert visitors that the water supply was being turned off. My brother went on the first slide and was fine, but when he went on the second slide, everything went wrong. uShaka shut off the water supply, causing the slides to dry. My brother went down the slide, lost control, and hit his leg and back,” said Nazeer.
She expressed gratitude that her brother didn’t choose to go on the 90-degree slide. “If he had, it could have been fatal. I’m not even sure the staff knew the water would be turned off, as they didn’t stop him from using the slide. This happened around 2 p.m.”
As a result of the incident, Junaid sustained multiple serious injuries, including breaking his back in three places and his leg in two.
“It was especially traumatic because his wife and their 2-year-old child witnessed everything from the bottom of the slide. My sister-in-law, husband, and a few kind-hearted patrons helped my brother. However, he only received medical assistance 30 minutes later when the ambulance arrived. No management or staff assisted us or even contacted us afterward. uShaka Marine World briefly closed after the incident but reopened later that day as if nothing had happened,” she added.
Several concerned residents took to social media to express their concerns. Lorraine Naicker said, “This could have happened to anyone… imagine if this happened to a child, how bad would the injuries be, and would uShaka even do anything?”
Justin Haripersadh said, “I hope Junaid has a steady recovery… these places, such as uShaka, do not care about the well-being of their patrons; clearly, it’s all about money.”
Nokuthula Luthuli, Acting Marketing Manager of uShaka Marine World, stated that the park is conducting an investigation into the incident and will issue an official statement once it is complete.
