Police spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe said an inquest docket has been opened following the gruesome discovery of two lifeless bodies of the boys on Monday night.
It is alleged that the deceased went missing while attending a local church in the morning around 08:30.
“According to one of the deceased’s mother, the victims (both aged three) and nephews, left home to go to the church. Only in the evening they realised that the children were missing. They started searching for the duo with other family members around the village but they were not found,” Ngoepe said.
He said the mother then reported the missing children at Bellview satellite police station and a joint search operation was launched by the Saps K9 Unit, the local police with the support from the local community.
Also read: MEC’s sign service delivery agreements
“Subsequently, late on the same night, at about 20:30, the boys were finally found inside the back seat of a wrecked vehicle at one of the residences of the deceased. Members of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were summoned and both children were certified dead on the scene,” he said.
Ngoepe said preliminary police investigations indicated that the boys were playing inside the vehicle when they were accidentally locked and unable to free themselves.
“Unfortunately, there was no immediate assistance to free them and they suffocated to death due to the heat wave that was experienced during the day. A post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death,” he said.
Also read: MEC’s sign service delivery agreements
The provincial commissioner of the police, Lt Gen Nneke Ledwaba expressed his shock and sadness of the continuous incidents affecting minor children in the province.
He has once more called upon all members of the community to strengthen measures on child safety to prevent this type of incident.
Police investigations are continuing.
