SHE went outside to hang her baby boy’s wet trousers. The next thing she heard was his painful cries.
When she looked back, she saw her little boy being shocked by deadly izinyoka wires in their neighbour’s yard.
Cathrine Mabena (19) of Moshate Squatter Camp in Marikana, Soshanguve went back to try and save her 20-month-old baby.
She rushed him to the nearby clinic but it was too late.
Her father, Ankies Dewee (48), told Daily Sun that his grandson was playing in their neighbour’s yard when he was shocked.
“He wet his pants while playing with other kids next door. Cathrine took them off and turned around to hang them out to dry. But before she could reach the washline, Lebogang started crying. When she turned around, she found him holding the exposed live wires in both hands.”
Councillor Bafana Thema said they started living in the area in 2013.
He said he has written to the City of Tshwane several times, asking for electricity to be installed in the area but without success.
He said in February, he had a meeting with the city’s officials in Centurion to resolve the electricity issue and was promised that a team would be sent to the area, but until today no one has come.
“The municipality is dragging its feet and this leaves people with no choice but to steal electricity from neighbouring Soutpan,” Thema said.
He said many people, including adults, have been electrocuted before and baby Lebogang was the latest victim to lose his life.
Lebogang will be buried today.
Attempts were made for comment from the City of Tshwane, but was not received at the time of going to print.
