CAPE TOWN - In a tragedy to hit a Mfuleni family, a mother has recalled the last few minutes she had with her son, who drowned in a pond after suffering an epileptic fit.
Asonge Dumezweni, 17, was playing with friends in the Burundi informal settlement when he died earlier this month.
His mother, Andiswa Dumezweni, said she now wants the pond to be secured so that no other parent loses a child.
“I was in the house preparing food for him when his friends came in and told me that he was drowning.
“I immediately rushed to save him. When I got there I could only see water bubbles (around his mouth), which showed that he was still breathing.
“Two guys dove in and came out with him.
“They tried to give him first aid assistance but instead he was getting worse and worse.
“We took him to hospital and I was told that he has a lot of water on his brain and hours later the doctors told that he is no more,” said Dumezweni.
Police did not reply to a request for comment by deadline on Sunday.
Mayco member for transport Rob Quintas said the ponds are surrounded by houses or shelters that are erected right on the edge of water bodies.
“The City’s local roads depot went to this site to investigate the unfortunate incident. Officials found that it was a 17-year-old teenager with special needs who had drowned in the pond, at the back of his home.
“The pond is surrounded by houses with only one narrow access to the pond.
“It is suspected that the boy used this narrow access to get to the pond.
“However, it is not sure how the drowning occurred and this has to be investigated by the South African Police Service.
“I want to urge parents with children who have settled next to or close to the water bodies to be vigilant and warn their children of the dangers these water bodies hold,”said Quintas.
Mayco Member for Human Settlements, Malusi Booi, said: “The City performs various services to reduce this risk of flooding where it can, but those in areas such as informal settlements that are situated on waterlogged land are especially vulnerable.”
Cape Times