A young contract worker’s life came to an abrupt end last Saturday, when he drowned while swimming in the Nzhelele River.

The body of Mr David Maloba (22) of Ha-Manthata in the Bochum area was found submerged in the deep water by divers on Saturday. He was working in the area as a construction worker, on the construction of RDP houses.

The scorching heat in the area prompted him and a friend, Walter Malete, to go to the Nzhelele River, which is a stone’s throw from where they were staying. The previous day, as they were not working, Maloba and his friend enjoyed a fun-filled day of swimming and relaxing in the water. They also took pictures while swimming in the water. On Saturday, the pair returned to the river as they were not working. Little did they know that it was going to be their last day together.

News of the drowning spread like wildfire, with community members from the nearby villages coming in their numbers to the scene. Within a short space of time, the river banks were swarming with curious onlookers.

Police divers arrived a little later and did not waste time in locating the body.

"We were preparing for a bath on the other side of the river when women who were doing washing requested us to move a little further away from them. While I was still looking at the other side of the river, my friend disappeared into the water. I tried to help him, but could not as it was deep,” said a sobbing Walter Malete. "We are from the same village and he was just like a brother to me. I find it hard to accept that I will not see him again. It is very painful to lose someone very close to you," he added.

The councillor for Ward 28 in the Thulamela municipal council, Mr Joseph Mavhunga, said that drowning was a cause for concern among the residents, as this was not the first incident. "Last year, a 12-year-old girl died at the same spot. We should rather stay away from this river, as it is killing our people," he said, adding that they were going to conduct an awareness campaign to warn people against venturing into the water.

Well-known traditional healer Vho Maine Vho Neluvhola, who also arrived at the scene, warned people about the dangers of venturing into the water while knowing that they cannot swim. "We are losing many people on a yearly basis through drowning,” he said. “We urge our communities to stay away from the rivers, even though we know it is hot. If needs be, those swimming should do so under the supervision of trained people or those who know how to swim," he added.

Mr George Mudau, project manager at Todi Business Enterprise where Maloba was working, said it was painful to lose a worker in that manner. "We lost a skilful person who will be hard to replace. We are going to meet with his family and see how we can meet them in order to give him a decent burial," said Mudau.