Deputy minister visits grieving family after boy’s drowning

THE DEPUTY Minister of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Sello Seitlholo, visited the bereaved family members in Bonita Park following the drowning of a 13-year-old boy near the Vaalharts main canal in Hartswater last week.

He also visited the site where the boy’s body was retrieved on October 17, approximately 20 kilometres away, between Magogong and Taung, after the boy went swimming and failed to resurface.

“I visited the family to send personal condolences on behalf of the Department of Water and Sanitation. As government, we have a responsibility to show families that we do care. Our sincere condolences go out to the family and the community of Bonita Park. No parent should bury a child,” said Seitlholo following the visit to the family on October 19.

The deputy minister also met with the Vaalharts Water Users Association (WUA) and Phokwane Municipality to address safety concerns regarding the canal.

“I am concerned about the high incidence of drowning in this community. We have engaged consistently with the Water User Association on what we can do as a department to prevent future drowning incidents. The WUA is currently undergoing a process of capacity building and has identified volunteers who are training to learn how to behave around water and have also taken the programme to schools. We hope to have individuals within a nearby radius who will be able to respond quickly to drowning incidents.”

He noted that fencing off the area was not a sustainable solution for preventing future drownings. “The department had previously decommissioned the fencing around the canals after it was stolen,” he explained.

“We will continue with efforts to educate communities living near the canals about safety so that they desist from using these canals for recreational purposes,” added Seitlholo.