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KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has ordered a full investigation after a girl, 15, got her hair tangled in her go-kart during an action-karting race at Gateway Mall.
The incident, on December 28 2022, left Kristen Govender with serious injuries which included spinal bruising, spinal cord damage and a torn aorta.
Dube-Ncube said she was deeply concerned about Govender who is fighting for her life in a Durban hospital.
According to her father, Vernon Govender, Kristen was out with her family at Action Karting at the mall when she sustained spinal injuries, a torn aorta and a torn scalp as a result of the go-karting incident.
“We are saddened that this young girl will not be able to start the school year in the first term. We have shut down the go-kart establishment at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping indefinitely, pending the outcome of the investigation into the incident.
“We were also disturbed to learn that when our teams went to inspect the area, they did not get co-operation from the management of the amusement park. We call on the police to leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom of this horrific incident,” said Dube-Ncube.
She said the provincial government is calling on all businesses owning such entertainment facilities to ensure compliance and that all safety protocols are implemented.
She said patrons must be given a full induction before participating.
“We will be visiting similar establishments in shopping centres across the province to ensure compliance,” she said.
Meanwhile, Govender told TimesLIVE that though Kristen is still in ICU, she was showing signs of improvement.
He said the doctors told him his daughter also has a torn scalp and no movement from her waist down.
He said Kristin was feeling better and she had moved her feet and toes a bit.
“She sat up on a sofa for a longer period this morning with both feet on the floor and can’t feel the floor or move yet,” he said.
Govender said the doctors had advised them to give her time.
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