A 13-year-old boy from Sibangilizwe Village in Nkayi, Matabeleland North, is feared dead after being attacked by a crocodile while fishing with friends at Gwelu River.
The incident happened around 3 p.m. on Sunday, but by Monday morning, police had yet to visit the scene or comment on the matter.
The boy, identified as Lewis Mpofu, was last seen by his friends before being dragged into the water. Villagers remained gathered at the river on Monday, anxiously awaiting further developments.
Speaking to CITE, village head and the local Civil Protection Unit treasurer Elmoni Moyo said there was initial uncertainty about the cause of death.
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“We don’t know if he drowned or if he was attacked by a crocodile. The children who reported the incident at the shops said he was dragged away by a crocodile from a tree, but the trees were only a few meters away. We only found his clothes, and just beyond that, we spotted a large crocodile,” Moyo said.
He added that crocodiles are often present in the river when water levels are high, as they were on Sunday.
With no sign of Mpofu’s body, Moyo has called for professional divers to assist in the search and has urged authorities to provide emergency response training at a community level.
“This is a difficult situation. We are appealing for villagers to be trained in rescue operations so they can respond quickly to such incidents. This training should be provided on a village-by-village or ward-by-ward basis,” he said.
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