A three-year-old boy from New Lobengula, Bulawayo, drowned on Tuesday afternoon after being swept away by floodwaters following heavy rains in the city.
Bulawayo provincial police acting spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, confirmed the incident, identifying the child as Sibusiso Methembe Moyo.
โOn 11 February 2025, at around 4 p.m., Sibusiso and his eight-year-old brother were sent on an errand by their mother. As they were walking, it started raining, and they took shelter at a local tuck shop,โ she said.
After the rain had stopped, the boys resumed their journey home.
โOn their way back, Sibusiso slipped into a drainage channel and was swept away by the fast-moving water. His brother immediately ran home to alert their mother, who then reported the incident to the police,โ Assistant Inspector Msebele said.
A search operation involving members of the public, police officers, and the fire brigade was launched, but the child could not be found.
โThe following morning, at around 8 a.m., a member of the neighbourhood watch committee discovered Sibusisoโs body in a drainage channel along Luveve Road, opposite Josiah Primary School,โ she said.
The body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for a post-mortem examination.
Assistant Inspector Msebele urged parents and guardians to closely monitor young children, especially during the rainy season.
โWe advise parents to warn children against crossing flooded streams and drainages. It is safer to wait for the water to subside. We also urge the public to avoid crossing flooded rivers,โ she said.
