The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
VILLAGERS in BH 11 under Chief Mvutu area outside Victoria Falls were on Monday thrown into mourning after two boys from neighbouring homesteads drowned in a shallow pool in the village.
The two boys Gift Ngwenya and Boys Mvundla, aged five and six, allegedly drowned while playing in the pool where villagers used to extract pit sand. They had just returned from Mizpah Primary School where they were doing Grade Zero and Grade One respectively when they went out to play in the pool at around 3pm.
A search team comprising BH 11 villagers retrieved the bodies at 9pm after seeing the lads’ sandals next to the pool, as rains continue to pound. Sunday News visited the two bereaved families in BH 11 Mvutu Village where the atmosphere was tense, ahead of a double burial which took place on Thursday.
“We are so much in pain and still trying to understand what happened. I wasn’t at home and just heard that he (Gift) came back from school and went to play with his friends and that was the last time he was seen until the bodies were retrieved at night,” said a clearly heartbroken Gift’s father, Mr Givemore Ngwenya.
Gift was staying with his grandmother Mrs Martha Phiri, who couldn’t hold back tears as she narrated how her grandson left home with friends.
“I was in the garden weeding when he arrived from school. He asked for his food and we directed him to the kitchen hut. After that he went outside the yard to play with his friends and they disappeared. I thought he had gone to join his brother who was herding goats and we only realised he was missing in the evening when the brother came,” said Mrs Phiri.
She said they started looking for him but at that stage didn’t suspect anything bad. Mrs Phiri said she went to report to the village head Mr Elson Matshazi and that’s when she was told that Boys was also missing.
“Villagers set out to look for the two who were known to be close friends. At 9pm that’s when people searched in the pool after seeing their sandals on the edge and tragedy just struck,” she added.
Gift’s mother Miss Nokuthula Chilemba was overcome by grief when the news crew spoke to her. However, the Mvundla family wasn’t receptive as two men chased away the news crew saying it was interfering with its affairs. Acting Chief Mvutu Mr Bishop Sibanda and Chidobe Ward 3 Councillor Dennis Thebe said they were saddened by the incident and appealed to villagers to ensure such pools were covered to protect children. Acting Matabeleland North police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Eglon Nkala confirmed receiving a report and urged communities to monitor children so that they don’t play near water bodies.
“Our plea is that people should monitor children so they don’t go near water bodies or cross rivers,” he said.
