Joy and laughter ended in tragedy when two 11-year-old girls from one family, Mapula Raphulu and Samaria Raphunga, drowned while playing at a stream near Tshiozwi village on Saturday.

Three children went to swim at the stream on Saturday, as it was extremely hot. According to an eyewitness, Samaria ventured into the stream to swim, but was swept away moments later. Her friend, Mapula, jumped in to help her, but she was also swept away by the water. The other child, who saw what was happening, ran to inform the parents and other community members.

The family immediately called the police, but when they arrived at the scene, it was already dark and the girls were nowhere to be found. Community members and the family slept at the stream until the police divers arrived the following day (Sunday). When the police divers arrived on the scene, they could do little more than retrieve the bodies.

One of the mothers, Ms Martha Raphulu, blamed the municipality for not closing to the stream after digging up soil to fix the road. She said they had a sleepless night, not knowing where the bodies of their children were. “We were grieving for the death of our children, but we were saddened (by the fact) that their bodies could not be found. We needed the bodies, so that we could give them a decent funeral,” she said.

Tshilwavhusiku SAPS station commissioner Lt Col Freddy Shirinda said that the police had opened an inquest docket. He also appealed to parents to take care of their children and to teach them to avoid playing in rivers and streams.

The Makhado Municipality’s mayor, Ms Mavhungu Luruli, passed her condolences to the family and warned children to avoid playing next to rivers and dams.

The poor family appealed to businesspeople who can help by donating coffins, tombstones or groceries to assist them. People who can assist the family can contact Martha at 076 3617405.

Mapula was finishing Grade 6 at Tshiozwi Primary and Samaria was in Grade 3 at Mukhudwana Primary. The two young people will be buried during a combined funeral at the Tshiozwi cemetery on Sunday. The funeral will start at 06:30.