Durban - The traumatised classmates of the two boys who drowned in the Mkhazini River close to KwaMakhutha, south of Durban, had to be calmed down on Tuesday.
Nkosikhona, 10, and Mnotho, 7, Dlamini drowned on Monday afternoon when they went for a swim in a river about 2km from their home.
Their sister said this was the first time they had gone to swim in that river.
“Mom called me earlier on Monday to tell me that she had told the boys not to go to school on the day as they had misplaced their uniforms. It was not even an hour later when she called me again to tell me about the tragedy,” said Sinegugu Mthethwa, 19.
“They left their younger brother and went for a swim.”
She said it appeared that Nkosikhona went in first and was followed by his brother.
“Their 10-year-old friend who had joined them tried to pull out Nkosikhona but failed. He then came back to call their younger brother (Sakhile) to say that the other ones were drowning.”
Sakhile told their 13-year-old sister, who went with them to the river.
Mthethwa said there was no sign of the boys. They called their mother and told her what had happened.
She said that when their mother, Nonsikelelo Dlamini, came to the river, people started holding her back thinking that she wanted to go into the river.
“She said that she was not going into the river to search for the boys. She said she wanted to go and pray to King Shembe on why he was letting this happen to her.”
Police spokesman Thulani Zwane said the boys were found next to one another in a police diving operation.
Mthethwa said that when the boys’ bodies were recovered, their mother went over to see them.
Forty-year-old Skhumbuzo Ngcobo said he saw that people were in a sombre mood as he got out of his taxi about 6pm on Monday.
“The only thing I did was to call for my own son. To my relief he responded,” he said.
Nicholas Shezi said the drowning of the two brothers showed that they did not know much about that river.
“Children who live around this area know how to swim there regularly and know where the river is unsafe,” he said.
Mthethwa said the two boys and their younger brother Sakhile were always together. “They were even known at their school as the Dlamini twins.” The three boys were in the same Grade 3 class at Kuhlekwethu Primary School.
A teacher said many pupils had been coming to report that the children who had drowned were their schoolmates. Their class teacher was also sad when she came in, as she had already heard about the tragedy.
“The teachers gathered with the pupils to say a prayer for consolation.
“We will wait to hear from the family what happens next,” the teacher added.
The Mercury