Missing mens’ bodies recovered from dam after a week
The bodies of two men believed to have drowned have been found after a week.
BARBERTON – According to police spokesman Capt Jabu Ndubane, on June 25, the owner of Kismere Estate had a problem with a hippopotamus that was eating sugar cane.
“The owner called a professional hunter, Jakobus Venter, to come and shoot the hippopotamus.” At about 15:00, Venter arrived on the farm with his two workers, Mthabini Emmanuel (28) and Mohando Joseph (44).
“Venter alleges that he shot the hippopotamus in the dam and asked the two workers to use a small boat to look for the carcass. They were busy searching at about 19:30 in the middle of the dam. Venter says he saw something and couldn’t tell if it was a crocodile or hippopotamus, as it was dark, that bumped the workers’ boat, causing it to capsize. That was the last time the two workers were seen alive.”
She said police divers were called in the following morning to search for the bodies, but they couldn’t dive in as the dam was full of crocodiles.
“The following day a crocodile was shot, because it was believed it had eaten the two due to its size. It was cut open, but nothing was found.”
Police searched for relatives, and a family member of Mthabini was traced and found in Lulekani, Tzaneen. Mohando was from Burundi, but his family could not be traced.
As the search continued, a body was seen floating in the river yesterday. It was recovered.
“Today the other body was seen floating and it was also retrieved. It had a bite mark of a crocodile on one arm. Police could not tell the identity as it was in a decomposed state. We are waiting for Mthabini’s family to assist.”
An inquest has been opened into the matter.
