Child (4) drowns in open drain

Four-year-old Ayabonga Mlonzi from Mazakhele, Harding drowned after falling into an open drain recently.

It is alleged that the child left his home with a group of children to get soup from a soup kitchen on Phillip Street, not far from his home.

On their way back, they passed the old pump station in Shepstone Street where they usually play. They saw a frog near the edge of the drain and Ayabonga was accidently pushed in by one of the other children.

His aunt, Thabile Mlonzi said she was at home when the incident happened. She heard the children screaming and calling for help after trying to save him.

“The children said Ayabonga fell in and grabbed a steel rod inside the drain, however the water current was too powerful and he could not hold on for long and was swept away,” said Thabile.

She said the family is distraught because of the municipality’s negligence. “Why was the drain not covered and the pump station locked?” she asked.

“What hurts me the most is that Ayabonga was an only child.”

Police, Umuziwabantu Fire and Rescue and Ugu District workers responded after the incident. It was reported that rescue workers were unable to see Ayabonga as the drain was deep and the water murky.

On Friday morning special equipment was brought in to vacuum the water, for rescue personal to search for the child. It is believed that little Ayabonga’s body was found after nine hours.

Police spokesperson, Captain Petros Mpinge confirmed Harding SAPS has opened an inquest docket. “An investigation is under way and the docket will be taken to the Senior Public Prosecutor for a decision.”

A resident said it was a sad day in Harding after they heard of the incident. “This child lost his life due to the lack of responsibility of Ugu workers. Ugu can blame this on vandalism, but when it comes to the loss of a life, they certainly need to be held accountable,” said the resident.

He added that the gate to this pump station was left open and the drain cover was missing “This gate was only locked after the body of the child was removed. As a concerned resident of Harding, I drove around to see the state of the other pump stations. I was shocked that three pump stations have not worked for the past four years which I had confirmed by one of Ugu’s employees. I strongly feel that there needs to be consequences after this incident,” the resident said.

After almost a week, Ugu District Municipality said it noted the incident involving a four-year-old child at an old, decommissioned pump station.

“All questions relating to these allegations should be referred to the SAPS,” said its communications department in a statement.

Ayabonga’s funeral was held last week at his family home in Ghost Town and all costs were covered by the municipality.

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