Family seeks justice after teen drowns

THE BEREAVED family of a 14-year-old boy who drowned near the Gogga pump station in Phutanang on July 18 is calling for the Sol Plaatje Municipality and the provincial Department of Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta) to be held accountable for his death.

It is believed that a leaking pipe filled the trench that had been dug by contractors installing sewage pipes in the area.

The family stated that, although an inquest was opened into the teen’s death, no one has been held responsible.

"He will be buried this weekend. How many lives must be lost before any action is taken?“ they asked. 

Thapelo Thole, whose 11-year-old son, Onkarabetse Thole, drowned in a flooded stormwater canal near the same pump station in 2022, believes the latest tragedy is also the result of negligence.

“Why are these death traps still unattended after all these years? Since the death of my child, the area has not been secured. I am still waiting for the municipality to negotiate my R10 million claim for negligence,” he said.

Thole called for a full-scale investigation into the teen’s drowning.

“This is not a time for shifting blame. Safety precautions were supposed to have been taken to ensure the safety of the community. Now another innocent child has died as a result of an unsecured water excavation.”

He added that, despite repeated pleas to prevent further deaths, dangerous stormwater ponds, unfenced excavations, and abandoned infrastructure sites around the city — particularly in Galeshewe — continued to pose serious safety hazards.

“These are not hidden hazards — they have been reported. We demand accountability. Heads must roll. We will not rest until justice is served. We are tired of empty promises, excuses, and funerals. This latest tragedy is a repeat of the pain I endured in 2022.”

Thole urged authorities to fence off all open water bodies and hazardous sites.

“As a grieving father, I refuse to let another family walk the same path I did, without justice. A list of all complaints received due to the water hazards, dating back to 2020, must be made public. Affected families should be offered an official apology and given compensation. If negligence is proven, institutions should be held criminally accountable,” he said.

Sol Plaatje Municipality spokesperson Thabo Mothibi indicated that the trench where the teen drowned formed part of a Coghsta housing project.

“The municipality learnt with shock about the death of the teenager at the Gogga pump on Friday. Our executive director for infrastructure and services and the acting superintendent for waterworks were at the scene shortly after the incident had occurred,” said Mothibi.

Coghsta spokesperson Tebogo Monyo said the department was investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and would provide more information once available.

Public Protector provincial representative Mlungisi Khanya stated that their investigation into the 2022 drowning near the Gogga pump station was still ongoing.

“We have not received a formal complaint in relation to the latest drowning,” he added.