A mother’s pain after Selati River floods claim two boys
A Limpopo mother speaks of unbearable loss after her teenage son and his cousin were swept away by floods in the Selati River.
LIMPOPO – “…. I felt like my son would knock on the door and tell me that he was back. What pains me more is that where they found them, we passed there when we were looking for them, but we could not find them,” says a broken-hearted Mmakgomu Rosina Shai, the mother of the late Tshepo Shai.
A dark cloud of grief hangs over the Mashishimale community following the tragic deaths of two young cousin brothers, Tshepo Shai (17) and Mahlatse Shai (15), who were swept away by the raging floods of the Selati River on January 18.
Bodies found days apart
After days of desperate searching filled with hope, fear, and prayer, the boys’ bodies were eventually discovered in an advanced state of decomposition, shattering the family’s last remaining hope. Mahlatse was laid to rest on January 25, while Tshepo was buried on January 27.
Tshepo’s body was discovered on January 21, by a man who was on his way to his cultivation plot near the Makhushane line, where the river flows. He was seen floating in the water.
Mahlatse’s body was found the following day, January 22, by community members near the riverbank close to a primary school in Maseke.
Recalling the last moments
Shai recalled the painful moments of the day her son disappeared, saying that she was cooking at home at around noon when Tshepo informed her that he was heading to a nearby tuckshop while waiting for her to finish preparing the food.
“What troubled me later was that Tshepo is not someone who would ever leave his phone behind. He always had it in his pocket. On that day, he left it at home. I only realised when I called him after cooking, and his phone was ringing inside the house,” she said.
At about 13:30, Shai received a call from her brother’s wife asking her to come over. When she arrived, she was told that Tshepo had fallen into the river and could not be found.
“I told them it could not be my Tshepo because mine had just gone to the tuckshop a few minutes earlier. It was unbelievable,” she added.
When the family rushed to the river, they found community members already gathered. One of the boys who had been with them explained that while they were standing near the river, Tshepo slipped and fell into the water. The other three jumped in to rescue him, but only two managed to come out alive.
Conditions halt rescue efforts
Overcome with shock and desperation, Shai said she walked along the river looking for her son with her brother’s wife, carrying her other child on her back.
“As we were walking next to the river, a hippopotamus came out of the water and chased us. We were lucky that men from the church helped us. Otherwise, we don’t know what could have happened to us,” she stated.
The search continued the following morning at 05:30, with family members entering the river in a final attempt to find the missing boys, but their efforts were in vain.
Police were unable to assist on Sunday due to the flooded conditions, which made the area inaccessible.
On Wednesday, during the official search operation, the family was advised not to take part to avoid unnecessary public speculation.
A mother’s grief confirmed
Tshepo was found on the same day of the search operation and was positively identified by his family members.
The painful reality finally settled in when Shai saw her son for the first time on Friday after the post-mortem.
“I am so heartbroken. I still can’t believe it even now. It is painful because they were still young. We did not know what the future had planned for them.
“They were still going to school. My son was supposed to be doing Gr 10 this year,” said Shai.
The Shai family has appealed to the public for financial assistance to help cover burial expenses during this devastating time.
Members of the public who wish to assist the family may contact Mmakgomu Shai at 083 293 8226.
