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An eight-year-old boy from Muyexe village near Giyani, Limpopo, drowned in an abandoned borrow pit filled with rainwater, prompting calls for authorities to be held responsible. A borrow pit is an excavated area where material has been dug for use at another location.
Grade 4 learner Siyabonga Maluleke, from Muyexe Primary School, was buried at the weekend after his body was recovered on 19 February.
“At around 2pm, (on 18 February) my child returned home from school and then went out with his three friends,” says Obet Maluleke, Siyabonga’s grandfather. “His friends say he turned back while they were walking to the pits.”
When Siyabonga did not return home that evening, the family began searching for him and reported him missing the following day.
An eyewitness who asked not to be named told Health-e News that community members responded after hearing calls for help.
“We heard loud hailing around 8pm on Thursday about a drowned child. We rushed to the scene and found a pair of trousers next to the borrow pit. Some locals, including skilled swimmers, entered the pit and searched. A diver later found the child’s body,” the eyewitness says.
Recent heavy rains have filled the abandoned pit with water, turning it into what residents describe as a dangerous makeshift swimming spot for children in the area.
“It was a shock,” says Maluleke. “My grandchild was a loving boy who loved school and playing. He was very intelligent and always smiling.”
Calls for accountability
The pit near Muyexe village was dug out several years ago during a project to pave internal village roads.
Siyabonga’s death has sparked anger and frustration in the community, with residents questioning why the pit was never closed or secured.
Eric Rivele, a Muyexe resident and chairperson of the project steering committee, says the National Department of Rural Development and Land Reform initiated the 8.5km road project.
“The project started during former president Jacob Zuma’s era as a pilot,” he says. “But it has stopped and started several times and hasn’t been handed over to the municipality.”
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He believes the department should explain what happened.
“They must tell the people of Muyexe what went wrong. They started the project and left it hanging.”
Siyabonga’s mother, Answer Maluleke, is demanding both accountability and compensation.
“My child was clever. I had big plans for him,” she says. “I thought he would take care of me one day.”
Authorities dispute responsibility
Village chief Simon Maluleke, who is not related to the family, says the project started in 2017.
“Before the project stopped, I asked the contractor to fence the area, and it was fenced,” he says. “However, the community stole the fence.” He wants the area secured, but doesn’t know which authority to address.
Ward councillor Agnes Mathonsi, who took office in 2021, claims to have been kept in the dark. She blames her predecessor, the traditional authorities, the project liaison officer, the steering committee, and the community.
“They must not hide behind me. I don’t even know the contractor,” she says. “The project comes from the National Department of Rural Development. Why didn’t the contractor close the borrow pit? The contractor made a very big mistake.”
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Siyabonga’s death.
The Mopani District Municipality referred questions to the Greater Giyani Municipality, which had not responded by the time of publication.
The National Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s Chief Director for Strategic Communication, Linda Page, says the department is verifying the circumstances surrounding the project and the abandoned borrow pit.
“Given that the issue relating to the borrow pit dates to 2018, it is important that we carefully review all relevant facts to ensure that we provide a comprehensive and accurate response,” she says.
“A detailed response will be provided once the verification process has been concluded.” – Health-e News
