A 15-year-old Pelandaba West boy drowned in an abandoned pit on Tuesday, a development which has sparked fury over the number of people who continue to drown in similar pits around Bulawayo.
The pits are scattered all over in Bulawayo with some in
Luveve, Pumula East, Mpopoma, Pelandaba West, Nkulumane, Cowdray Park,
Matshobana and in Entumbane. The pits, which have claimed many lives, are a
creation of illegal sand poachers.
As heavy rains continue to pound the city, the pits
continue to deepen. While some have been a source of water for residents who
have been going without water for five days a week, the pits have become death
traps, especially for children.
The latest incident occurred on Tuesday when the boy
identified as Keith Ncube was playing near the pit with his two friends. His
uncle, Mr Sonny Mpofu, says Keith was looking for worms around the water body
before he slipped into the pit.
His friends then went back home and notified his guardian
about the incident. The boy was only retrieved yesterday after his body was
found floating inside the abandoned pit.
Some of the open pits dotted around Pumula and Cowdray Park
suburbs which pose a danger of drowning to residents
“We received news that Keith had fallen into the well and
when we came some of the residents tried getting into the water but because the
well has deepened, they came out without his body. We spent the whole of
Wednesday trying to look for his body without any luck.
“His friends also claim that before he jumped into the
water, he bade them farewell which leaves us wondering if his death is in any
means associated with superstition,” said Mr Mpofu.
“His body was then spotted floating today with flies
hovering around it and we had to notify police who retrieved him. We are
saddened by this incident and we do not want to imagine what his mother is
going through as she lives in South Africa.”
Ms Senzeni Ncube of Pelandaba West said this is the second
child to drown within a space of two months. She appealed to the city council
to fill up the pits as they pose a threat to other children who now fetch water
from open pits due to shortage of water.
“The lockdown is also contributing to this because children
are spending so much time at home as schools are closed. They tend to engage in
dangerous activities like swimming in these abandoned pits,” said Mrs Ncube.
Mr Khumbulani Maphosa from the Matabeleland Institute of
Human Rights said it is saddening to note that the abandoned pits have claimed
another young life in the city. He said his organisation had tried to engage
the Environmental Management Agency and the Bulawayo City Council a month ago
to no avail.
His organisation cited the death of a 12-year-old girl who
drowned in the same pit on December 8 last year.
In March 2020, a 12-year-old boy drowned in a sewer pit
between Nketa 8 and Nkulumane 5 suburbs. Mr Maphosa said it was time Ema held
the local authority accountable for the continued number of deaths being
reported from the abandoned pits.
“I engaged council and Ema a month ago and sadly nothing
has been done. In response, the council said they would attend the pits once
resources are available. The pits are all over the city; Luveve, in Mpopoma,
Pelandaba West, Nkulumane, Cowdray Park, Matshobane and in Entumbane suburbs,”
said Mr Maphosa.
“Some of the pits were left by council and some by private
sand companies and they have proved to be a human risk besides being a
violation of environmental stewardship,” he said.
Efforts to get comment from council were fruitless as the
mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni and his deputy Councillor Mlandu Ncube did not
respond to phone calls.
The area’s Councillor Alderman Siboniso Khumalo said the
council was working on getting resources to fill up the pits.
Some of the open pits dotted around Pumula and Cowdray Park
suburbs which pose a danger of drowning to residents
He called on residents to accompany children whenever they
go to fetch water from these pits to avoid such tragic accidents.
“I am pained by the loss of life which occurred within our
community and sadly the only thing we can do now is warn members of the public
to desist from leaving their children unattended in those areas. Resources
permitting, council is going to work on closing those pits so that they don’t
pose danger to our children and residents,” said Alderman Khumalo.
“We are in a water crisis and we understand that residents
are making use of the water in those pits for watering their gardens, toilets
and for washing. Therefore, they need to exercise extreme caution and ensure
they do not let their children go unattended or unguided to save lives,” she
said. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment