WATCH: Soweto boy drowns at unbarricaded site by Johannesburg Water

The Moloi family wants the City of Johannesburg, Joburg Water and its contractor to be held responsible for the death of 11-year-old Simphiwe Moloi.

The Grade five learner drowned at a Johannesburg Water contractor site at Mofolo South over the weekend.

According to the family, the young boy is believed to have been playing with his friends when a soccer ball fell into a pool of ground water at a nearby shaft.

He allegedly dived into the pool of water attempting to get the ball when he drowned.

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“At around 10, a neighbour called us to say that there was a child who disappeared under the pool of water. We rushed there and we were met at first sight by the clothes he wore that morning.

“One of the boys there said he had tried throwing in his jeans to pull him out, the other boys had fled the scene,” recalled the aunt, Amahle Moloi.

Amahle said community members rushed to the incident site in numbers attempted to rescue the boy but the dirty water made it impossible.

“While we were waiting for the police and emergency people to arrive which took time, the community frantically searched and when they could not find him, they began utilizing buckets trying to halve the pool of water but that also did not help.

“We waited until the rescue team arrived and began searching and managed to retrieve his body,” an emotional Amhle said.

Amahle said the family was looking to establish who is responsible for the work that was being done and wanted to know why and how the site had not been barricaded or fenced up for safety.

She said the death of Thapelo could have been prevented, adding that they wanted them to be charged with negligence.

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“The contractor guy was there on Sunday and he could not help us with anything. He stood there watching everything playout.

“Since from the incident they are yet to come to the family and offer some sort of explanation and comfort.

“As a family, we want to lay him to rest and open a formal case because there are allegations that the project was apparently completed, so we question why they left it like that.”

During a visit by Urban News at the incident scene on Tuesday, a TN Molefe construction crane was on site, closing the water ground with heaps of soil.

“It’s probably about three months since we last saw the construction company working there and we are surprised and frustrated because it is only being done because a child has died. They don’t care,” she continued.

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Family relative, Edwin Moloi added that it was a difficult time as no one was employed in the family. He lambasted the government and councillor for dragging their feet in assisting the family.

Responding to a media inquiry, the water utility said “Johannesburg Water is unfortunately not able to respond to media queries nor conduct any interviews until due investigations have been completed.”

Urban News understands that the Department of Employment and Labour was also conducting its independent investigation into the incident.