By Nokuthaba Dlamini
A 10 – year-old boy from Chief Mvuthu’s area on the outskirts of Victoria Falls drowned while swimming at a local river on Friday afternoon.
Pardon Nyoni of BH25 and a grade five pupil at Chimbombo primary school was confirmed dead by police yesterday after his body was discovered floating in Malayitha river.
Kachechete Ward 19 councillor Given Moyo confirmed the incident.
“We gather that he had gone to swim with other children who are younger than him and could not save him at the time he started to drown,”Moyo said.
“I called the Chimbombo headmistress and she told me that the deceased had not attended school lessons on Friday, so there is a possibility that he had gone to the river to swim with other children just for leisure, but this is very disturbing to us as a community because this is the second incident of a small child drowning from the same river.
“It became impossible for other children to save him and after he disappeared they left the river and went back home until he was found by a villager floating.”
Moyo urged communities in his area to avoid swimming in or crossing flooded rivers.
“We are already in a dangerous rain season and I would like to appeal to our members of the community to pay special attention when crossing rivers while another special care should be given to young children who cross these rivers and bridges going to school.”
The body of the deceased was reportedly taken to Victoria Falls mortuary pending burial arrangements.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese said she had not received the report.
