THE Ncube family started their 2024 on a sad note.
They've been camping beside the beach since New Year's Day praying that the ocean releases Snikokuhle's body, who drowned while he was out with his family at Mtunzini beach on New Year’s Day.
It is believed there was a strong current while he was swimming and he failed to swim back. His body has not been retrieved yet and the family is now accepting that he's no longer alive.
The 16-year-old from uMlalazi, northern KZN, who was going to be in grade 10, has left his father, Bishop, defeated as they had a very close father-son relationship.
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Bishop (51) said he has been camping beside the beach ever since his son drowned with the hope that the ocean would release his body.
“What makes me even more devastated is that my son was very responsible and was very careful with everything. I don’t know what happened this time around,” said Bishop.
He said they are now starting to move to a nearby beach on the bay to search for his body as they were camping at Mtunzini beach for a week, but his body has not washed up.
“We are also at other nearby beaches such as Zinkwazi beach and Port Durnford beach,” said Bishop.
He said the family is now in the stage where they're accepting that Snikokuhle is no longer alive and all they pray for now is his body.
“We'll never have closure as a family if we don’t find his body and bury it in a decent place and know where he's resting,” said Bishop.
Umlalazi mayor Queen Xulu waited with the family at Mtunzini beach and asked people to pray for them as they are in deep pain. She also welcomed the extra help of rescue teams from the district and other municipalities.
KZN police spokesman Colonel Robert Netshiunda said Mtunzini police have opened a missing persons docket following an incident where a 16-year-old teenager reportedly drowned on Monday, 1 January at Mtunzini beach.
"The victim has not been found as yet and search and rescue team are still searching for him. The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated,” he said.
