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Police at the scene where the body was found. The body is wrapped in a white  body bag

Is Nandoni Dam a blessing or a curse?

 

Nandoni Dam has claimed so many lives since its completion and the number of bodies found keeps on increasing. On Tuesday, residents of Mphireleni outside near the dam were overwhelmed by fear and shock.

This follows the discovery of a body that had allegedly been dumped into the water at one of the picnic sites along the bank of the dam. This is believed to be the 39th body found in the dam since it was completed in 2007. Local people have mixed feelings as to whether the dam is a blessing or a curse to the communities around the dam.

In the latest incident, the body of a man, believed to be in his forties, was spotted by a passer-by who alerted the community. The body was in the early stages of decomposition. Eyewitnesses said the body was found shortly after midday. The deceased was dressed in jeans and a sweater.

Bruises on the body led people to suspect that the man might have been killed somewhere else and been dumped at the spot at night. Within a short space of time, the area was swarming with residents from the neighbouring villages. Even traditional leaders from the area of Mutoti and Ha Budeli arrived at the scene. 

The man could not be identified immediately, strengthening the aforementioned suspicion. "This is very bad. People are heartless. How can they kill and dump a person in water that is used for drinking?" said a man, who preferred to remain anonymous.

The acting traditional leader at Mphireleni, Abel Muthakhi, said that he was shocked. "This is not an isolated case. From time to time we receive reports of bodies found in the water around here. Some are victims of crime, some are illegal fishermen and some perish while swimming without professional supervision. This is a source of great concern for us and we believe something should be done to stop the scourge," he said.

Muthakhi further indicated that they had meetings at village level from time to time, making residents aware of the dangers of venturing into the water.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Const Avhafarei Tshiovhe said they had opened an inquest docket. “We have a problem as the hot summer approaches and people just venture into the water to swim. We are urging that communities must refrain from doing so, in order to save lives,” she said.

Local traditional leaders leave the scene where the body was found. They plan to have meetings with their subjects to chart the way forward and plan what to do to avoid further deaths at the dam.

 

Date:23 September 2016

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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