Bridge of tears …

Communities in the rural Muledane village outside Thohoyandou are still in a state of shock after two children died after falling from a makeshift bridge into a ditch filled with water at Muledane on Saturday afternoon.

The deceased siblings were identified as Ntakadzeni (10) and Aḓivhaho Masithi (8). They were killed while on their way to visit their grandmother, who stays in another section of Muledane. Both were learners in Jim Tshivhonelo Primary School in Muledane.

The father of the children, Mr Awelani Masithi, said that he was still devastated about the incident, because the children were happy that day. As a parent he could not imagine that later that day he would receive the tragic news. He said the children had told him that they wanted to visit their grandmother and he had not suspected that something bad would happen.

He said that he nearly fainted when he was informed that his two children had suddenly fallen from the bridge and plunged into the water-filled ditch below.

The traditional leader of Muledane village, Chief Mavhina Mawahsane, expressed his worry that his community had lost young children from whom they were expecting a good future. According to him, the family and communities were devastated, and the incident was the worst in the area in many years.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said that they had opened an inquest docket, following the incident.

He added that, according to the information they had received, four siblings had been walking from one section of the Muledane village to another, when the eight-year-old girl had suddenly fallen from the bridge and plunged into the ditch below. “Her 10-year-old brother then jumped into the ditch, apparently trying to rescue his sister, but they both perished. The other two siblings then ran home and raised the alarm,” Mojapelo, said.

According to him, the circumstances that led to the tragedy were still sketchy at the time of our going to press, but what was not clear was whether the deceased had drowned or died as a result of the fall. Cause of death will be determined by further police investigations. He said the wooden makeshift bridge had been made for pedestrians as the streets in the area were being tarred.

Their funeral service is scheduled to be held on Saturday at the Muledane cemetery and will start at 06:30.

Date:19 October 2019

By: Silas Nduvheni

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