A 14-year-old boy has died after drowning in a pit full of waste.
The initial report indicates that the boy and his friends went swimming in this area, filled with sewage, at an open space near the Meloding graveyard in Virginia, Free State on Sunday, 24 November.
This heartbreaking incident was immediately reported to the family by his friends.
Acting Matjhabeng mayor Hlobohang Mokhomo said this devastating loss has left the entire community in shock.
Mokhomo acknowledged that the pit was created by contractors extracting sand from the area.
“These contractors failed to backfill the excavation site, leaving it hazardous and posing a serious risk to residents, particularly children.”
“The accumulation of rainwater and sewage in the quarry made it even more dangerous, attracting local children who used it for swimming.
“I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the deceased’s family, friends, and the broader Matjhabeng community,” said the acting mayor.
Mokhomo further condemned contractors, saying they engage in unsafe practices, including excavating trenches, holes, or similar hazards without municipal authorisation and failing to secure or backfill these sites.
“Such negligent actions endanger the lives of residents, particularly children, and will not be tolerated,” he said.
Provincial police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Thakeng said that the cops found a boy drowning in the pit full of sewage at an open space near the Meloding graveyard.
“Divers were called to the scene, but it was a health risk since the quarry was full of sewage. Municipal employees had to be deployed to drain the sewage. The body of the deceased was found stuck in the mud of a quarry,” Thakeng said.
He said the body was retrieved, brought beside the pit, and certified dead by Emergency Medical Services.
He further mentioned that the boy was identified as Pule Lithebe.
“During this school holidays, children are sternly warned not to swim in quarries full of water or sewage as it’s a health risk and they will drown. Parents must know the whereabouts of their children to curb these unfortunate and unnecessary deaths,” said Thakeng.
The dead boy’s father, Lefu Semenyane, who identified the body of his son, said the incident has left the entire family in pain.
This is the second incident in the Matjhabeng community after two boys suddenly drowned in abandoned sewer holes in Welkom on Sunday, 10 November.
