Young boy still missing after allegedly drowning in a river outside Steelpoort
Community members complained of lack of access to clean water in the area
There is still no sign of the body of an 11-year-old boy who is presumed to have drowned while trying to gather water from the Tubatse River on February 10.
The incident happened in the Mahlakwena (Malaeneng) Village outside Steelpoort.
Fando Sebulela allegedly drowned at about 09:10 while he tried to get water from the river. Community members residing near the river heard screams as his friends shouted for help when he fell into the river.
“When we rushed to the river, his body disappeared under the water. It was as if someone was pulling him in,” said one of the eyewitnesses.
Other residents said every year, especially during this time, people drown in this river.
For more than a week, the Limpopo SAPS and their divers have been searching for the boy. Sangomas also searched the riverbanks and performed their rituals in the river, without any luck.
This publication visited the area on February 16 and discovered that one of the community’s major concerns is water.
“Had it not been for the lack of water, this young lad would have been with us at this moment. We are losing our loved ones because of the lack of services in our village,” complained the residents.
The community members said the people digging sand in the river have left trenches, which are also dangerous. “They are also causing problems for us and increase the risk of drowning.”
A police officer of the Limpopo SAPS confirmed that a search is continuing.
