When community members breathe a sigh of relief following the recent floods that claimed a number of lives, police had to deal with yet another drowning incident in Tonga.
Unlike drownings witnessed recently which were mainly accidental, the current drowning of a 27-year-old male is regrettable and police believe that it could have been avoided if people adhered to the call by police to refrain from any form of mob justice.
It is reported that the victim and his friend were allegedly trying to save their lives from the angry mob in Tonga when they ran into Nkomazi River.
One of the two victims is said to have managed to successfully swim across the river whilst his fellow disappeared in the heavy current of Nkomazi River on Friday, 17 March 2023.
His body was spotted by the Police’s Airwing on 22 March 2023, six days after he went missing, about five kilometres from the scene where he reportedly drowned.
Police are investigating circumstances surrounding his death that led to the attack and those involved.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi reiterated that whenever there are any suspicions of crime committed then community members should utilise services of the police rather than taking reckless decisions which might end up claiming people’s lives.
