Stranger rescues Dawn Park child (8) from manhole
The boy is traumatised by the whole incident.
An eight-year-old boy, Kgomotso Makachaba, fell into an open manhole on the corner of Dion and Galahad streets in Dawn Park on June 18.
His mother, Salome, said she had sent the child to buy bread for breakfast when the incident happened.
“I was surprised when my child took so long to return. When he did arrive he was with a man I didn’t know.
“The man explained he saved my son, who was trapped in a manhole.
“Kgomotso’s clothes were wet and he was shivering. I quickly took him to the clinic in Dawn Park to make sure he was OK.
“He was checked by a nurse who said he doesn’t have any physical injuries. He is, however, suffering from nightmares since the incident.
“My son told me that he prayed to God earnestly for his life when he was stuck in the manhole. Fortunately the man, who was riding his bicycle past the manhole, came to his rescue.
“We are traumatised but my child is worse off.
“It affects him when we are watching the news and the story about the missing child in Soweto comes on. Kgomotso asked me if the firefighters and other groups searching for the child would ever find him.
“My child is lucky that he managed to be rescued and came out of the manhole alive, but that is not promised to everyone who might fall into a manhole,” said Salome
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She added the family needs trauma counselling.
“I tried to report the matter to the police and they said they don’t take on such cases. I even tried to inform our Ward 45 councillor about this incident and he said he will come back to me. He hasn’t come back to me or even addressed the issue. We feel hopeless.
“We want the City of Ekurhuleni to close the manhole so that this cannot happen to another child or any other person,” said Salome.
Ward 45 Clr Nkululeko Sidu said on June 27 that he is aware of the incident and understands the open manhole needs to be addressed.
“I have spoken to the mother and I’m going to visit them today. I have escalated the issue of the manhole to the customer care centre manager.
“I’m going to follow up on this. The manhole must be closed because it is posing danger to residents,” said Sidu.
The Advertiser is awaiting comment from the City of Ekurhuleni.
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