Two young boys from Munzhedzi village, aged 15 and 10, drowned in a stream about 5km from Vleifontein on Thursday.

Mbuelo Thovhakale (15) was a Grade 10 pupil at Tshiawelo Secondary School, and Dembe Maliboho (10) was in Grade 4 at Nthabalala Primary.

The two and another friend went into the water as it was extremely hot. The two boys then ventured deeper into the water, while their friend was still on the bank of the stream. According to him, he suddenly realised that they were in trouble. He couldn't rescue them as the water was too deep and very murky.

The boy then ran to inform his parents and other community members and they immediately called the police. When the police and members of the community arrived at the scene, it was already dark and they couln't locate the bodies of the two boys. Community members and the family slept at the stream until the police divers arrived the following day.

When the divers arrived at the scene, they could do little more than retrieve the bodies. Ms Alvinah Thovhakale, mother of Mbuelo, told Limpopo Mirror that she her son was a hard worker and wanted to become a lawyer.  “We are grieving for the death of our children, but we were saddened by the fact that their bodies could not be found immediately."

The local traditional leader of Munzhedzi, Mr Simon Rambau, expressed his condolences to the two families and warned children to avoid playing next to rivers and dams. He called upon all parents to watch out when their children are playing, especially when it is near water.

The spokesperson of the Makhado Police, Const Irene Radzilani, said that the police had opened an inquest docket. She also appealed to parents to take care of their children and for children to avoid playing in rivers and dams or to swim without the supervision of older people. She said the police were investigating the drowning incident. 

The two boys was buried during a combined funeral at the Nthabalala cemetery on Saturday.