Boy drowns in drinking water
2006-12-04 17:24
Nelspruit - A teenager drowned in a reservoir on Friday that provides water to residents of KaNyamazane outside Nelspruit in Mpumalanga.
Thami Zitha, 18, had gone to the reservoir in KaNyamazane as usual on Friday afternoon.
His uncle, Maybe Mnisi, said: "He called my brother about 14:45 and told him he was going to the reservoir."
A while later, his cousin went to look for him and found his cellphone and ballpoint pen on top of the reservoir, near the opening. The lid had been taken off the opening.
He immediately raised the alarm, but the police had to wait for Silulumanzi, the water authority, to send an official.
The official eventually arrived at 20:00, nearly five hours later.
Mnisi said: "He argued that it was impossible that anybody could have fallen into the tank, and tried to discourage us from wanting the tank drained.
"When it was eventually drained, we found Thami at the bottom of the tank."
He said the people of KaNyamazane had used that water without knowing there was a body in it.
A neighbour, Sylvia Mkhatshwa, said the community was angry with Silulumanzi.
"We all know that the boys play on top of those tanks. Silulumanzi should have put a padlock on the lid, at least.
"The area is not fenced in and that lid had no lock. Now, the boy is dead. Who should take the blame for his death?" she asked.
The family rejected rumours that Thami might have committed suicide because he had failed his Grade 11 exams.
"It is true that he was disappointed, but not to the extent of committing suicide. He was looking forward to repeating his class," said his mother, Lorraine Mnisi.
Richmond Jele of Silulumanzi said: "We are saddened by the loss of this young life. It was unforeseen that the boy would fall into the tank.
"We will do whatever we can to help the family. We will be sending people to see how we can be of help."
He said the tank had been cleaned and that the water in which the teenager had drowned had been drained into a nearby river.
"We have chlorinated the tank. The water is now safe and clean to use," he said.