Divers of the South African Police Service have retrieved the body of the 16-year-old Tendani Netshituni, who was overpowered by the water last Sunday, while she was collecting wood.
Her body was found five days after she had drowned in the Nzhelele River.
Community and family members slept at the river, while on the look-out for the body. Tendani´s body was eventually found last Thursday.
WO Itani Muila, the communications officer of the Siloam SAPS, said the police were investigating the drowning incident. He appealed to children not to play alongside streams and on river banks or to swim without the supervision of older people. He said that the station would be embarking on a campaign of visiting villages in order to tell children not to play in streams, rivers and dams.
He said most of the smaller dams, streams and rivers had filled up considerably after the good rains. The children drown after misjudging the depth of dams and the strength of currents in the rivers. With the very hot weather currently being experienced around the province, the police say they expect that more children will try to cool down by going for a swim. Although they regularly swam in groups, it was found that in most cases the victims could not swim.
Tendani was buried during an emotional funeral at Tshirenzheni on Sunday.