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Tragic end to Mpumalanga trainee Sangoma’s quest for water rituals
The trainee traditional healer was one of three who had accompanied a senior traditional healer to Rainbow River. Police are investigating.
Photo for illustration purposes. The man’s body was recovered three hours after he drowned. Photo: iStock
A 25-year-old trainee traditional healer has reportedly drowned in the Rainbow River in Mpumalanga while performing rituals.
Police have since warned communities – especially at Majembeni Trust near Bushbuckridge, where the incident occurred around 9am on Sunday morning – to be cautious when in or close to the waters.
“According to information, three male trainees and the female traditional healer went to the river to perform some rituals,” said Colonel Donald Mdhluli.
“During the process, one of the trainees disappeared inside the river. A search was conducted with no luck.
“The matter was immediately reported to the police and police divers were summoned to the scene but sadly the body was retrieved after three hours, at about 12:00.”
Mdhluli explained there were no visible injuries on the man’s body yet an inquest was opened by the police and will be investigated.
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Mpumalanga’s Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela cautioned the public to be extra careful when conducting similar activities in the rivers.
Manamela added that due to continuous rainfall experienced in nearby areas, it should be noted that the rivers and dams are swollen, which poses danger to anybody near them.
Body recovered in Mvoti River
Last week, the body of a 60-year-old man, who had been reported missing for about a week, was recovered from the Mvoti River in KwaZulu-Natal.
However, due to the state of the body’s decomposition, authorities said the exact cause of death could not immediately be established.
The man’s body was discovered after local community members spotted it on a small island in the middle of the Mvoti River.
An inflatable raft and rope system had to be used to recover the body.
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Additional reporting by Chulumanco Mahamba
