By Doreen Mokgolo
The body of seven-year-old Jabulani Mofafane, who drowned in the Klip River, was found 43 days later by a group of women collecting firewood near the river.
His body was discovered on Monday, 5 August, after the sewage pipes that were adding water to the river were turned off, causing the water level to drop.
The women were shocked to see a human hand on the riverbank and quickly called the community for help to pull Jabulani’s body out of the water.
Jabulani slipped and fell into the river on 24 June while playing with his two cousins, aged nine and 10, as they were walking home from a local tuckshop.
The children were playing on a concrete bridge without safety barriers when Jabulani lost his balance and fell into the fast-moving river.
Jabulani’s mother, Matlala Liboche, told Scrolla.Africa the family feels some relief now that his body has been found.
“As hard as it is to accept that he is gone, it’s better knowing that his body was found and he had a proper funeral in Teyaneng, Lesotho, on Saturday,” she said.
Liboche hopes the municipality will build safety barriers on the bridge to protect others, especially children who use it daily to get to school.
She also suggested that swimming lessons should be a priority in primary schools: “The Department of Education should make sure kids learn to swim. It could save lives in situations like this.”
Pictured above: Jabulani Mofafane.
Source: Supplied
