The body of Walter Mungoni, who drowned in the Nandoni Dam almost a week ago, has finally been found and retrieved.

This happened on Friday afternoon, thanks to the senior local traditional leader, Vho Thovhele Nkhaneni Ramovha, who spent two days searching for the body, using his boats and his so-called “untrained divers.” The body was spotted floating in the dam by a person who shouted from the other side of the dam, while the Speaker of the Provincial Legislature, Dr Tshenuwani Farisani, was busy addressing the community, trying to defuse the tension that had brewed between the police and the community.

Farisani could not even complete his address as the excited crowd ran towards the body. He cautioned the crowd not to retrieve the body themselves as it was against the law, while at the same time calling the police, who reacted swiftly and retrieved the body. This should have diffused the tension that had been brewing between the community and police, but that was not to be, as the enraged community wants the matter to be taken to a higher authority.

Tension started brewing after provincial police refused to dive and retrieve the body of Walter Mungoni (46) who drowned while fishing in troubled waters on Sunday evening.

Experts were called from Mpumalanga, and they too refused, citing the same reasons and also that their standing order does not allow them to dive in waters that have been found to be dangerous. It is said that the Nandoni Dam is infested with crocodiles.

Police actions left the community so angry that they decided to ask for political intervention after it had become clear that they were not going to get any help from the police.

Community members and their leaders had decided to stage a rolling mass action to show their dissatisfaction and to put their plight in the spotlight. The arrival of the mayor of Thulamela, Khosi Vho Thivhulawi Makumbane, and the Speaker of the Legislature, Dr Farisani, saved the day, as tension was soon eased and people were eager to listen.

 Family member and community leader Lufuno Mudau said the family and the community had had enough of the police, who are reluctant to help them. “What type of police are they who make empty promises all the time? Yesterday they told us they would arrive here at 07:00 in the morning but we kept vigil here since seven, and they only arrived here at 14:00 and only dived for 15 minutes, leaving us as fools here,” said the fuming Mudau.

Mudau said it was very disturbing to see officers who were serving in a government that had been put into office by the people not dispensing the services they were required to render to the communities. Mudau said even the arrival of the so-called specialists and experts from Mpumalanga did not yield any results. Mudau said the family was not impressed at all by the actions of the police and requested Dr Farisani to take the matter to parliament.

“We will be happy if these police are punished for misconduct, so that what happened here should not happen again,” he said. Mudau said the family was more disturbed after seeing more than seven bodies being retrieved in more dangerous areas of the dam, but their relative was being left to rot in safer waters.

The local traditional leader, Musanda Vho Vhangani Mmbubana, said the conduct of the police was regrettable. “We expect service from these people but what they have shown here leaves much to be desired,” he said. Dr Farisani expressed his dissatisfaction with the conduct of the police. He made a special call to all civil servants to take their jobs seriously and to serve their communities with dedication. He told the people that they must not regard all police as irresponsible as there are some who are committed to their work.

 “We understand your frustrations as the community. I was here yesterday and I saw no police and today here I am and there are no police. We have been fed lies and the community has been told that the police are in charge and patrolling the dam, which is not the case,” he said. Farisani said he was there last year when two Thohoyandou businessmen drowned at the dam and police spared no resources to retrieve them.

The spiraling number of deaths at the dam has become a source of much concern to the community. Most feel that there should be stricter control at the dam and that guards should be employed to enforce the regulations.

Meanwhile, preparations for Walter’s funeral are at an advanced stage. He will be buried at the local cemetery during the weekend.