The kiddies’ ice-skating rink is located at the food court, where the incident took place. Image: Cape of Fun.
(The Post News)– A Cape Town father has won the first round of a legal battle against SunWest International, the operators of GrandWest Casino. This comes after the Western Cape High Court ruled the company was grossly negligent in an incident where his four-year-old daughter was electrocuted by a live wire.
The incident took place more than five years ago, in January, at the kiddies’ ice-skating rink located at the GrandWest food court. According to court testimony, the father heard his daughter suddenly cry out in pain while holding onto a steel railing near the rink. She began trembling and screaming. When he pulled her closer, he saw a red mark on her hand and spotted an exposed electrical wire lying on the floor near where she had been standing.
Security and management quickly responded to the scene. A security guard, who later testified in court, saw the father cradling his child. He confirmed seeing a white, uninsulated electrical cable with a connector block sticking out. He was instructed not to switch off the plug point, as an incident report needed to be completed.
An investigation later revealed that the electrical wires had come from a Christmas tree installation that had been incorrectly removed following the festive season at GrandWest. No safety inspection had been carried out to ensure the area was clear of hazards before reopening to the public.
The court ruled that GrandWest had failed in its duty of care, especially in a space designed for children. The judge described the company’s inaction as “grossly negligent” and stated that the injury would have been entirely preventable had safety inspections been carried out. The delay in cutting the power was also flagged as a serious procedural failure that further compromised public safety.
A separate hearing will be held to determine the amount of compensation GrandWest will be required to pay the family.
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