Mpumalanga police have warned the public to refrain from crossing, baptising or performing rituals in flooded rivers.
This follows a fatal incident where a 24-year-old sangoma and his trainee (22) disappeared in the Mkhondo River on Monday 18 January.
Police spokesman Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said the sangoma, his five trainees and one member of the public went to the river to perform rituals.
“It is said that the sangoma dipped three trainees in the water successfully, however on the fourth trainee, things went terribly wrong as the sangoma and the trainee disappeared in the water,” he said
Police divers were summoned to the scene.
The bodies were found on Tuesday 19 January.
“Police are in dismay as since the beginning of summer a number of people drowned in different parts of the province. And as a result, police are appealing to the public to avoid the danger of getting into flooded rivers and dams,” said Hlathi.
Parents have also been warned and are urged to look after their children, especially now since schools are still closed and more rain is predicted.
