MAMBEDI – The 14-year old girl, Winnie Hlungwane from Mambedi, who was killed by a crocodile while fishing at the Mambedi Dam on October 14, will be buried at the settlement's cemetery today (Friday).

Winnie, a Grade 8 pupil at Rivubye Secondary School in Mambedi was grabbed by the crocodile while fishing with a friend, Hlamalani Melvin Fambo at around 14:00 last Tuesday afternoon.

A shocked Melvin then alerted the community, who called Cllr Sipho Masuka for help. On his arrival at the dam, Masuka asked Mr Danie Haasbroek, owner of the Security Company at Sapeco to try and retrieve the girl's body and to kill the crocodile. After a long search the crocodile was spotted and Mr Haasbroek shot it.

When they were certain that the crocodile was dead, members of the community got into the water and pulled out the mutilated body of the little girl.

The principal of Rivumbye Secondary, Mr Willie Chabalala pleaded to the community and to the pupils at his school to stop fishing at the dam, because of the possibility of more attacks.

"As school, we are sympathising with the bereaved family. We were expecting good things from Winnie, but her dreams did not realise because of her unexpected death," he said.

He said Sapeco, as the owner of the dam, must ensure that the dam is well fenced to restrict people who might still be having ideas of fishing at the dam.

Winnie is survived by her two unemployed parents, two younger brothers and four younger sisters.