A young man who made a living by catching fish was himself caught and killed by hungry crocodiles. The body of the well-known fisherman, Michael Manyuha (27) of Ha Makhuvha outside Thohoyandou, was found floating at Damani Dam outside Thohoyandou last Thursday.



Manyuha´s body was found floating in the Damani dam without his private parts, right hand, right leg and intestines, which are believed to have been eaten by the crocodiles.



Residents of the area are well aware that the dam has lots of crocodiles, but villagers are forced to fish in the dam in order to make a living as they are unemployed.



According to witnesses, Michael was fishing at the dam on Tuesday afternoon when the incident happened. His wife, Thivhulawi Manyuha, was surprised when her husband did not return home that night. "He would usually go to the dam and catch his fish, which he would bring back and sell, but on that particular day he did not come back," she said.



“I then informed my relatives and villagers on Wednesday to start searching for my husband. Villagers discovered his clothes at the side of the dam on Wednesday evening, but were too scared to search further that day as it was already late,” said Thivhulawi.



Nkhetheni Nemahunguni, Wildlife, Trade and Regulation Conservator at the Department of Environmental, Economic Development and Tourism in the Vhembe region, was hailed as hero when he acted and volunteered to go inside the dam to retrieve the body that was floating.



“I was worried because family members were crying at the sight of the body of their loved one in the water. Police divers who had been called to retrieve the body had not yet arrived, so I decided to act. As I work with the dangerous animals, I realised that the two crocodiles in the dam were far away from the floating body and posed no immediate danger,” said Nemahunguni.



He said after recovering the body of the deceased fisherman from the dam, he shot at the two crocodiles, but missed as they were far from him. He urged fishermen in the area to make use of fishing lines which give them an opportunity to fish from the side of the dam, rather than use fishing nets.



William Manyuha (78), the father of the deceased said the death of his child had robbed his family of a good person who always strived to get food for his family through fishing. He said his son was not employed, but was able to support his family with the proceeds he made from selling fish. “Although I am feeling the pain of losing a son, I have accepted that it is the will of God and that no one knows how he/she will die,” he said.



Michael leaves two children, Hakhakhi (9) and Mashudu, an 11-month-old girl.



The police spokesperson in the Vhembe area, Captain Mashudu Malelo, confirmed the incident. Malelo sounded a stern warning to the villagers not to venture into rivers and dams at this time of the year as many are killed by crocodiles or drown in the water.