Five-year-old drowns in a pit
The Vilakazi family are finding it very difficult to accept the tragedy of losing their only five-year-old son, who drowned in a water-filled pit in a neighboring home over the past weekend.
DAANTJIE – Preschooler Mcebisi left his house at around 17:15 on Saturday to play with his three-year-old friend as usual. That was the last time his parents saw him alive. While playing, he allegedly fell into the pit. Mcebisi was found when his family discovered his body after frantically searching for him earlier. He was later certified dead. His mother, Nonhlanhla, said she later saw the three-year-old friend pass her home crying.
“I never took it into consideration, instead I told myself maybe he fell down or something happened while they were playing. It was only at 19:00 that I started panicking, as my son had not returned home.
“After we searched everywhere he used to play and the surrounding homes, his father then took a torch and went to look into the pit, which is a few metres from our house in our neighbour’s yard. Suddenly I heard my husband screaming and I ran towards him. I could not believe what I was seeing – my only son floating in that pit,” she explained.
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She said at that time their son was not breathing.
“We rushed him to a nearby clinic where indeed the nurses certified him dead,” she added. The grieving Vilakazi family said they have been complaining to their neighbours about the danger of the pit to children, but their concerns fell on deaf ears. It is believed that the open pit was dug a few years ago with a purpose of building a toilet, but instead it was filled with water. The parents of the deceased said they want the pit drained of water so that they can find their son’s shoes before his burial. Meanwhile, the owners of the home where the tragedy happened, said they feel sorry for what had happened
They promised to close the pit. No one has been arrested, but an inquest has been opened.
