Teen dies at high-school party

2008-02-11 09:57

Arisja Jacobs

Secunda - A high-school pupil drowned in a dam on Saturday afternoon in full view of a group of partying teenaged friends.

Zolane Mani was a Grade 11 pupil at KI Twala High School, eMbalenhle.

He and a group of teens had arrived en masse at the Secunda Stadium to watch the Highveld Athletics Championships for High Schools.

Flip van Zyl, police reserve commanding officer, said most of the spectators were turned away because they were uncontrollable and had brought large quantities of liquor with them.

Even hours after the meeting had ended, teens were still turning up, congregating in front of the gates, dancing, drinking and partying.

"We had our hands full trying to control the children and the taxi drivers who were bringing them. We seized about seven rucksacks full of booze bottles," he said.

Mani's cousin, Innocent Radebe, told Beeld on Saturday that their group had been refused entry, and had decided to go over to the Kolgans Dam opposite the stadium, to relax and party there.

"Zolane asked me to look after his shoes," said Radebe.

Had to stop a fight

At first, the youth lay next to the dam, and then he slipped quietly into the water. He disappeared almost immediately.

Constable Stanton Francis was first to arrive. "I tried to spot the man, but first had to stop a fight among the teenagers."

Heyns Theron, interim chairperson of the Highveld High School athletics committee, regretted the incident.

"It really is heartbreaking. We had decided to make it a closed meeting precisely to keep out unwanted elements, such as liquor."

Theron said things had run smoothly inside the stadium.

- Beeld