A six-year-old Shakaskraal pupil drowned on Sunday after falling into a manhole while helping his grandmother collect recycling materials.

The family of Siyamkela Shwabade is heartbroken.

His grandfather, Malusi Zondo, works as a caretaker at Guzana Secondary School in Shayamoya, where he had stored wastepaper for his wife to collect.

On Sunday, Siyamkela accompanied his grandmother and another child to fetch the paper. While they were packing it, Siyamkela wandered along the fence, searching for more.

“When his granny called him, he didn’t answer. They looked everywhere but couldn’t find him,” said Zondo.

“Later, we discovered that he had fallen into a deep manhole and drowned in the dirty water. My heart is broken. I don’t know if I will ever be okay again.”

Zondo described Siyamkela, a Grade 1 pupil at Shakaskraal SA Primary School, as a bright, energetic and affectionate child.

“He didn’t call me grandfather, he called me Baba (dad). Every morning he’d jump into my bed and say, ‘Baba, wake up!’ He was my little alarm clock. He was everything to me.”

He also fondly recalled their special outings.

“After payday, we’d go to a local shisanyama and eat meat together. He always looked forward to that. And now I have just come back from the mortuary… it was so painful to see him like that.”

Shayamoya ward councillor Collen Mdletshe thanked emergency workers for their swift response.

“The manhole is very deep, about 2.2 to 2.5 metres. Even an adult would struggle to survive. It was heartbreaking to see a child die like that.”

Mdletshe also expressed gratitude to Walter’s Pool and Garden Maintenance, the KwaDukuza Fire Department, and the Saps recovery team, who worked nearly seven hours to recover the boy’s body.

Zondo thanked the school principal and governing body for their support.

“I don’t blame the school. This was a terrible accident. Maybe it could have been avoided, but no one meant for this to happen. Please, I ask the community not to blame the school. Let us mourn our child in peace.”

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