The Baloyi and Mnisi family from Jopi village in N’wamitwa said it took emergency services, the police’s search and rescue team, construction workers, and members of the community three days to retrieve the body of their son, Mighty Baloyi, after he fell into an uncovered borehole in November 2018. Robert Mnisi, Mighty’s father, said the municipality appointed a contractor to drill a borehole to address water problems in the village in 2108.
“They asked my father-in-law, the headman of the village, to drill the borehole at his homestead as they were afraid that their machines may be stolen,” he said. “My father-in-law agreed but the borehole was not closed after the work was completed and my son fell into the pit while playing outside.” On the day of Mighty’s funeral, the former mayor of the Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM), Maripe Mangena, promised the family that the municipality would compensate them for the heartache caused.
Also read: UPDATE: Residents in shock after toddler tragedy
He repeated the promise during a visit the day after the funeral. Mnisi said they waited for years for the GTM to contact them, but up to today, there has not been any communication. “It is heartbreaking to lose your child, and nothing can bring him back, but we were promised compensation. We assumed they felt some accountability since it was a municipal project.”
According to a report in the Herald at the time of the incident, residents recalled that the child was playing with other children in the headman’s yard when he fell into the borehole. It was reported that the Mopani District Municipality (MDM), the water service authority, also launched an investigation to establish the circumstances around the uncovered borehole. At the time, the then-police spokesperson, Const Maphure Manamela, said that the police had opened an inquest into Mighty’s death. Last week, the Herald contacted Mangena for comment on the family’s allegations.
Also read: Major rescue operation near Tzaneen for toddler in pit
He said that he was speaking on behalf of the GTM and that inquiries should be directed to them. GTM spokesperson, Vutivi Makhuvele, told the Herald that they investigated the matter and found that no commitment for compensation was made to the family by Mangena on behalf of the municipality. Herald also contacted Odas Ngobeni, MDM spokesperson, for comment. At the time of going to print his response was not received.
