Two Limpopo families whose children drowned recently say police have not deployed enough resources to search for their bodies. Three-year-old Desire Munzhedzi drowned after falling into the Nzhelele river in Musekwa-Pfumembe village outside Louis Trichardt earlier this week.

Ten-year-old Thapelo Maropola was swept away by heavy currents in the Phalala River at Ga-Seleka outside Lephalale on New Year’s Day.

Police have temporarily stopped the search for both the boys due the rivers overflowing, and being infested with crocodiles and hippos.

Heavy rains in Musekwa-Pfumembe village outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo have brought pain to the Munzhedzi family. Their three-year-old son, Desire Munzhedzi, drowned after he fell into the Nzhelele River that flows near the village. The boy was playing near the water with his sister and brother.

The family believes police are not deploying enough resources to find his body.

His uncle, Prince Munzhedzi says that on the first day of the search, the police arrived and left without searching for the body.

Munzhedzi says the community is continuing with the search without the police.

“I am not happy with how the police are handling this search, what is more painful is that they came the first day and just looked at us while we were searching and cited that they won’t help us since the river is infested with crocodiles and they left. They told us that they would come the following day to search for the body. On the third day, they arrived with one sniffer dog and just searched for an hour,” explains Munzhedzi.

“When I told them to search near the dam they refused. The police officer leading the search said they would not be able to continue. As the family, we also want to know how many hours they can help us. I have honestly lost all hope. I feel that they do not want to help us and it is painful and all we want is the body,” he adds.

Munzhedzi says that the police search was supposed to resume today. However, the police told them to call and alert them when the river subsides.

“There is no progress at all. We believed that they were more experienced and skilled than us and now they are not helping us with anything. On the third day, the police told us that they were leaving and they would only come back when we call them and inform them of the state of the river, saying that it was too full, but we as the community and family members were inside searching. We were so disappointed. The leading officer said they had to leave because they did not work in one place. We are in pain,” says Munzhedzi.

Another family at Ga-Seleka, outside Lephalale in Limpopo, is also in mourning. Their 10-year-old son, Thapelo Maropola, was swept away by the overflowing Phalala River on New Year’s Day.

Maropola and another boy, Jan Monare, drowned when they were swimming with a group of boys.

Monare’s body has been recovered.

Thapelo’s mother, Martha Maropola, says police have not been communicating with them on when they will resume the search for his body.

Police temporarily stopped the search for Thapelo’s body as the river is overflowing and there is potential danger from hippos and crocodiles.

Maropola says she wants her son’s remains to be retrieved.

“They told us that they are different divers; one who can be able to retrieve the body when it is deep inside the river and one who can retrieve the body when is floating. The police also said they would deploy experienced and skilled divers for the job. Till today, we are waiting for them to come. I am also not happy with how they searched the last time, citing that they will deploy the right divers. I am hurting. The pain I am feeling is too much,” says Maropola.

Meanwhile,  Limpopo police spokesperson, Stephen Thakeng, says they have never stopped the search for Munzhedzi since his drowning was reported.

Thakeng is urging parents to always monitor their children’s whereabouts.

“The provincial search and rescue team in Thohoyandou K9 unit was deployed since the boy was reported missing and the search continues even though there are dangers of crocodiles and hippopotamus. Also, if it is dark, members are not able to continue with the search and heavy rain affects the operation. We are appealing to parents and also guardians, please know the whereabouts of your child to avoid this incidents that are happening where our children are drowning,” says Thakeng.

Meanwhile, eight people have drowned in overflowing rivers in the past two months in Limpopo. A man drowned in the Phalala River, at Thabo Mbeki village in Lephalale, on the same day as Maropola and Monare. His body has been recovered.