Yet another drowning shocked the communities residing in Tshikombeni and Madabani the past weekend. A young man was swept away by a stream, and when his sister jumped in to rescue him, she also drowned.

The tragedy follows only two weeks after Mirror published the story of two youngsters from Rathidili, Phidza Muswobi (15) and Tshimangadzo Mukwevho, who drowned when their self-made boat capsized at a stream near Ramahantsha.

The happenings the past weekend are no less tragic. The sad episode in the history of these villages on the western side of Louis Trichardt started on Saturday when Raymond Tshikombeni (18) and his sister Shonisani (15) went to the Divhini stream to do their washing. According to their mother, Ms Elisa Tambani, they had to go to the stream because taps in the streets ran dry some four months ago.

Tsumbedzo Nefolovhodwe (15), who survived the tragedy, said he was helping Shonisani and Raymond with the washing and he carried water from the stream. Once they had finished, Raymond decided to go and swim. When the stream swept Raymond away, Shonisani jumped in to help him, but she was also swept away. Tsumbedzo then jumped in to try and help his two friends out of the foaming water, but he was also pulled in by the strong current. Luckily for him, Themba Mboweni arrived and managed to rescue him from the water. “I only woke up later at the Tshilwavhusiku Health Centre,” says Tsumbedzo.

The community members reacted very quickly and called the police, who sent their divers from Thohoyandou. While the police were on their way, the community members, led by a former chief whip of the Makhado Municipality, Mr Rufus Selepe, searched for the bodies of the two young people. The water was too deep, however, and they had no other option than to wait for the po-lice divers.

The grieving mother, Elisa Tambani, blamed the municipality for not providing safe running water to the communities. She reckoned that her children might have been alive, had they not been forced to look for water at dangerous streams. She said Raymond was a bright kid who dreamt of becoming a lawyer one day. His sister, Shonisani, wanted to become a nurse one day.

The spokesperson for the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS, Constable Khakhu Maiwashe, said that the police had opened an inquest docket. He also appealed to parents to take care of their children and teach them to avoid playing in rivers and streams. The headman, Mr Mavhungu Rambulana, expressed his condolences to the Tshikombeni family and warned children to avoid playing next to the rivers and dams. He called upon all parents to watch out when their children are playing. He also accused the munici-pality of failing to provide safe water to the community.

A task team was set up to assist the family with all the arrangements for the funeral. The task team’s liaison officer, Mr Peter Magwala, said that anyone who can help by way of donating something must please contact him at 076 573 6346. Mr Bono Sigidi of Tshitshithe Funerals already promised that his company would donate two coffins and two tombstones to the family.

The Makhado Municipality’s mayor, Ms Mavhungu Luruli, passed her condolences to the family and appealed to community members to allow the municipality to close the stream. She said that the municipality had consulted with community members and indicated that the stream should be closed off. The community apparently refused this request and said they needed the water for their livestock.

The two young people will be buried during a combined funeral at the Madabani cemetery on Sunday. The funeral will start at 06:30.