MEMBERS of the police search and rescue team have their hands full, attending to numerous calls of drownings.
This is because more than 20 people have drowned in rivers and dams across all Limpopo’s five districts in less than two months since the rainy season commenced.
From the beginning of October to date, police said they have recorded 20 inquests resulting from incidents of drownings.
The latest incidents involve the drowning of two school children at different locations in Sekhukhune where Thabiso Madire (12) from Praktiseer outside Burgersfort drowned after he reportedly jumped into Tubatse River on Wednesday, 23 November.
His body was retrieved several kilometres from where he drowned.
On Saturday, the same team managed to retrieve the body of Gift Mitchel (18) from the Olifants River. Another incident occurred at Vhulaudzi outside Makhado after police received a complaint of a drowning.
Limpopo police spokesman Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said members of the search and rescue team were dispatched to the scene and upon arrival retrieved a decomposed body believed to be that of an 11-year-old girl who was reported missing.
“The body was found without both hands and had clothes matching the description of the missing girl. Investigations have already begun to determine conclusive identity on the deceased and the circumstances of her demise,” he said.
Several pastors and congregants have also drowned performing religious rituals in rivers, streams and dams in the province.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe has called on communities to be wary of rivers and dams as persistent rainfall has raised dam levels and rivers might be flooding.
