A week characterised by extreme heat has come at great cost when two Vhembe residents drowned while swimming.

The first incident occurred on Tuesday, 15 October, at Maniini, where a 20-year-old man was found dead at the Mvudi River at around 07:30. The deceased was later identified as a local resident, Mr Takunda Sithole.

According to Vhembe SAPS spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi, preliminary investigations indicate that he drowned while swimming with others.

In the second incident, a 13-year-old boy drowned in a ditch filled with water at Lufule Ext 3, next to Thasululo College. This incident took place on Thursday, 17 October, at around 19:00. The boy was later identified as Rotshidzwa Ndou Madzhie, a Grade 7 learner at Lufule Primary from the nearby Mavhunda village.

A spokesperson for the Madzhie family, Mr Reckson Madzhie, said the incident had left them numb and in shock. “After receiving the sad news, I rushed to the scene and found that stakeholders, such as police divers, were already there after being alerted by an off-duty local policeman. This is a sad time for us. We were still awaiting good things from him. The worst part is that his father passed away a few months ago, and we are still mourning him. We did not even know how to break the news to the mother, and we are grateful for what her church did by coming to offer us prayers,” he said.

The local traditional leader at Lufule, Vhamusanda Vho Kenneth Mphephu, said the incident had shocked the community. "Last year, we gave a contractor employed by Thulamela Municipality this place to excavate soil while constructing a road. They left these open ditches that have become a danger to the community. We are in great pain as a village. We have big rocks that could help fill these holes,” he said.

Mphephu further indicated that the incident has made them reconsider their willingness to assist the municipality and its contractors. “We are calling on the municipality to do the right thing by closing these holes. To the parents, we urge you not to allow your children to venture into rivers and dams," Mphephu said.

Dathi stated that they had opened two inquests after the incidents. “We are appealing to anyone with information that could assist with the investigation to forward it to the investigating officer, Sgt Talifhani Makhuvha, at (082) 469-1397,” he said.