The incident
occurred on October 25, 2025, at around 3:45pm.
Mapingo, who
stays with his parents in Ridgemont suburb, had visited the motel with his
10-year-old friend for a swimming expedition.
Acting
Manicaland police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka said the
two boys began swimming, and Mapingo ventured into the deeper waters, where he
unfortunately succumbed to drowning.
The incident
was promptly reported to the authorities by Milton Rewai, an employee of
Crocodile Motel, who retrieved Mapingo’s body from the pool.
Police attended
the scene, and inspected the body before taking it to Rusape General Hospital
for a post-mortem.
Assistant
Inspector Chinyoka urged the public to exercise caution when engaging in water
activities, particularly if they are not proficient swimmers.
He also
emphasized the importance of adult supervision when minors are swimming.
“We urge
members of the public not to enter water bodies when they are not good at
swimming. Minors must be closely monitored by adults when swimming,” said
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.
Investigations into the incident are currently underway. This is the third drowning incident.
Children should
not swim or play in any pool without direct supervision.
They should be
accompanied by parents or guardians while swimming as a standard rule.
It has since
emerged that despite allowing the public to swim, the hotel has neither a
resident lifeguard – who helps to keep children safe from dangers while
swimming – nor water safety instructor (WSI), who helps to avert dangers by
teaching children to swim.
Witnesses said
the water was dirty, making several rescue efforts difficult. Manica Post
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