Police in the Thohoyandou area have issued a strong warning to the public to stay away from open water. This came after the drowning of two men in two separate incidents at the Nandoni Dam this week.

In the first incident, a 20-year-old learner at Malanngwe Secondary School at Itsani drowned while swimming with friends. According to eyewitnesses, a group that was relaxing at the dam decided to venture into the dam for a quick swim, when the incident occurred.

Mulalo Nemabaka had gone fishing with a friend at the dam on Sunday. The friend, an Indian businessman only known as Saeed, said they were fishing when his friend decided to join another group that was swimming not far from where they were. “At about 16:30, I heard screams from the direction of where the people were swimming, but just thought they were happy as they were enjoying themselves,” he said.

He said a group gathered at the scene and he also went there. “I was really shocked to find that my friend had drowned. Just imagine having been with a person for the last ten minutes and the next moment you find him dead. It was shocking,” said Saeed.

“We have been together for a long time and we had bonded like brothers. We were almost staying together as he would come and help in the shop every weekend. I am really saddened by the incident”, he said

Family spokesperson Mr Reuben Nemabaka-Mudziwa said the family was very saddened by the incident. “Mulalo was a bright boy who always wanted to make the best out of life, he was still young but he had assumed the role of an adult who could provide for the family by the little he made during the weekends,” he said.

Nemabaka-Mudziwa said they were still expecting a lot of good things from him as he was a disciplined young man who had the future in his hands. “Mulalo has left a void that will not be filled by anyone, but we have accepted that it was his day and do not bear any grudge against anybody,” he said. Mulalo will be buried at Dzwerani during the weekend.

In the second incident, a 46-year-old man, Walter Munguni of Tshitomboni Ha-Mmbubana, drowned while removing some fishing nets around 23:00 on Sunday at the same dam.

Hulisani Netshivhale, who was with the deceased, said it was their routine that each night they went and checked the nets. “That night was a different one, as there were waves all over the dam. We took the chance and ventured into the dam and we were almost finished removing the fish when we experienced difficulties,” he said.

Netshivhale said they had caught so many fish that it became impossible for them to come to the shore. “The boat we were using was filled with water and the load of fish made it sink, whereupon Walter told me to jump and swim to safety,” he said.

He said he jumped and struggled to swim to safety as they were already far from the shore. “When I looked back, I saw him struggling and the boat sinking. He could not make it and he drowned,” he said.

Vhamusanda Vho Vhangani Mmbubana, the local traditional leader, said his senior traditional leader, Vho Thovhele Nkhaneni Ramovha, had always spoken against the use of unlicensed boats for fishing. “We have had many confrontations with local fishermen who make a living out of this water. When you tell them not to venture into the water, they pretend you are taking their livelihood away,” he said.

Mmbubana said the Department of Water Affairs should erect a fence which will regulate access to the dam.

“We know people are without jobs and are hungry, but fishing should be regulated and orderly, then we will never have these tragedies,” he said.

When going to press, police divers were still struggling to locate the body of the deceased.

Nandoni Dam has already claimed the lives of at least seven people and this has put the issue of security at the dam under the spotlight, with some alleging that government was not doing enough to make sure that no more people die at the dam.