The drowning of 16-year-old Akonisaho Maiwashe from Denga Secondary School in Nthabalala has renewed calls for safe recreational facilities for children in rural areas. Residents have linked the tragedy to an unfinished sports ground started in 2023 by the Makhado Municipality.
Lifesaving South Africa says limited access to safe recreational spaces increases the risk of drowning in South Africa compared with global trends. Late last year, parents warned that the incomplete sports ground forces children, some as young as eight, to walk up to six kilometres through the bush to play soccer. The ground is uneven, has no infrastructure or goalposts, and is now used as a grazing field for cattle and goats.
Vhembe police spokesperson Warrant Officer Vuledzani Dathi said police in Tshitale have opened an inquest docket following Akonisaho’s drowning on 28 January.
Akonisaho’s mother, Fhulufelo Maiwashe, said her son had gone to school as usual before joining other children to play soccer near the sports ground. “They were playing soccer and became tired. That’s when they went to swim with other children,” she said. “If the sports ground nearby had been completed, this incident would not have happened.”
Community members said the sports complex has remained incomplete for nearly two years. Community leader Andrew Masipa said residents had repeatedly raised concerns about children’s safety. “It has been two years since the municipality abandoned the sports ground project. Our cries fell on deaf ears, and now we have lost a child … Imagine children walking more than two kilometres through the bush to find a place to play. The government has left us behind.”
Residents warned that, without safe recreational spaces, children face environmental dangers, including rivers, especially during the rainy season. The family and community hope the tragedy will prompt urgent action to complete the sports facility.
An enquiry sent to municipal spokesperson Mpho Rathando on 30 January about the delay and expected completion date has received no response despite multiple follow-ups.
Helen Herbert, general manager of Lifesaving South Africa, told Limpopo Mirror the tragedy highlights the dangers of using rivers as informal recreational spaces.
“It appears to be the norm that youth use the river to cool down and play after football sessions on underdeveloped grounds. This places them at severe risk of drowning,” she said.
Lifesaving South Africa called on the municipality to provide safe recreational spaces and educate communities on the safe use of rivers and dams. Akonisaho was buried on 6 February at Thabalala.