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Boy (8) dies of electrocution: Grieving mother demands answers

A grieving mother is left angered after her 8-year-old boy was electrocuted to death due to an open electrical box.

The grieving mother of the late Siphesihle Magabane (8) said no municipal representative has given an update about the ongoing investigation.

Siphesihle was electrocuted to death as a result of an open electrical box early last month. The family believes this is due to municipal negligence.

His funeral was held at the Methodist in Africa Church in Mohlakeng on December 7.

• Read the initial article here: Eight-year-old killed after being electrocuted by open electricity box

His 30-year-old mother, Gugulethu Magabane, spoke to the Randfontein Herald in an exclusive interview about her loss and now advocates to protect children and innocent people from negligence. She stated the municipality was supposed to ensure that the electricity boxes, including the one that electrocuted Siphesihle, were closed properly.

“Someone in power has to take responsibility. We have to advocate for these children and the municipality needs to do their job.”

Family and friends sing and dance as they mourn the eight-year-old boy’s death.

As she grieves, Gugulethu says, “I left a healthy, beautiful boy in the house before I left for work. Now he is dead. It just does not make sense. This was the boy I had loved for eight years. He was my miracle child. I had such high hopes for him because he was so different.”

She further explained the doctors had told her she would never be able to bear children. Thereafter she gave birth to Siphesihle and dubbed him as her miracle child. He also made his mother proud from a very early age. His last report proved his skills in the academic field when he earned 7s for all of his subjects.

Learners from Siphesihle’s primary school attends the funeral.

For Gugulethu, the hardest part of losing her son is having to sleep without him. She also expressed that seeing his friends play in the street without him and having to deal with all the memories inside the house is too hurtful to comprehend.

“I just wish God could give me the power to understand that I did everything as a mother to keep him safe and that it’s not my fault. It hurts that every time I want to speak to my child, I have to speak to a grave. How many volts are in that box? How many volts travelled through his tiny body before he could not take it anymore?” she asked, unable to keep herself from crying.

Read the full story in the January 24 edition of the Herald.

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