A family in the Mamelodi Merry Me informal settlement is mourning the tragic death of its 12-year-old son. Katlego Matlanyane drowned at a nearby quarry on Sunday.

He and his friends had been swimming at the Mamelodi quarry and he drowned while washing mud off his clothes, according to the information the family received from one of his friends.

His father, Tlanke Mohlase, said Katlego and his friends went swimming at the quarry afterwards, their clothes were all dirty from the mud and they decided to clean their clothes.

He said the children could not save him. Being children and too scared to talk about what happened, they kept quiet and went to bed that night without informing their parents.

Katlego was a Grade 4 learner who loved to play soccer.

The quarry is situated near Mamelodi East phase 2.

“His mother last saw him on Saturday during the day. She was busy making food for him before he went missing,” said Mohlase.

She thought he was playing with his friends and would come back home when he was hungry, but by late evening he still wasn’t back home yet.

“We alerted the community and we began searching for him with the help of the community patrolling forum until late,” he said.

Katlego’s mother reported him missing at the local police station in the morning.

Community members continued the search until one of his friends took them to the quarry.

Family member Jack Gaditse said the place where the children swam was not properly fenced off and anyone could easily have gained access.

“The children could easily trespass at the place unnoticed. For all we know, other children in the area might also be swimming there too.

“The quarry is deep and we think that the children never noticed how deep it was.”

Police spokesperson Constable Lethabo Mashilaone said an inquest docket was open and the investigation already started.

Katlego will be laid to rest in Ga-Masemola, Limpopo, tomorrow.