Ntsika, Zimasa Nkatshumana's child, died after falling into a manhole at a Khutsong reservoir. Photo by Thapelo Morebudi.
(The Post News) – The death of two-year-old Ntsika Lithalam Nkatshumana, who fell into an open manhole close to a nearby reservoir, has left the community in shock. The tragic event has sparked a heated uproar in the community, with campaigners and locals accusing the Merafong Municipality of neglecting to safeguard a hazard that they say has been present for almost ten years.
A Mother’s Pain
Ntsika was playing with other kids close to his house when he fell into the exposed reservoir chamber. His mother, Zimasa Nkatshumana, described him as a kind, affectionate boy who always greeted people.
While attending a neighbouring event, Ms Nkatshumana had left Ntsika in the care of his older brother. Another child informed her of the occurrence, and when she rushed back, she discovered that Ntsika had already been rescued from the water. “I want them to pay for my child,” Ms Nkatshumana said, sitting on a mattress, still in shock over the incident. She believes the accident would have been preventable had the manhole been covered.
The family is now pursuing legal action, and Ms Nkatshumana demands that the municipality take full responsibility, including paying for the funeral and making amends for her son’s premature death.
Community Blames Years of Neglect
The manhole is a source of anger in the neighbourhood, with some locals claiming that it has been unsafe for up to ten years. Locals said that despite their frequent protests about the hazardous infrastructure, the local officials ignored them.
Noting that this was supposedly not the first time someone had fallen into the hole, community activist Chuku Keireleng specifically condemned the town for not fixing or fencing off the hazard.
The Greater Fochville Water Crisis Forum’s Buti Elliot Mtembu, who is currently providing the grieving family with legal advice, was unwavering in his criticism. “The kind of leaders and the municipality that we have in Merafong are demonstrated by this episode. “Community disinterested leaders,” he said. The reservoir’s prolonged closure, according to Mtembu, whose forum recently voiced its disapproval of the local water crisis, “clearly shows that we don’t have leadership in this municipality.”
Municipal Investigation Underway
The tragedy shocked the local officials of Merafong. Ernest Tibane, the Ward Councillor and MMC of Health and Social Development, said that the municipal authorities had no idea the lid had been left open and had no prior awareness of its hazardous condition. He said that an iron lid had been there before, implying that it had been stolen because of the city’s high crime rate.
An immediate internal inquiry is being conducted to find out how the reservoir chamber became open, according to municipal spokeswoman Thabo Moloja. “We are working closely with law enforcement to establish whether negligence, vandalism, or unlawful interference played a role,” Moloja stated. He went on to say that police are conducting a separate investigation and that officials were sent to the area right away.
While acknowledging the people’s grievances, Mr Moloja disputed the impressions of neglect by outlining Khutsong’s numerous development projects, such as improvements to the city’s housing stock, roads, and social infrastructure. However, he acknowledged that there are still issues with service delivery, which are frequently made worse by financial limitations and ageing infrastructure.
For the Nkatshumana family, whose tragedy now stands as a sobering criticism of municipal responsibility and community safety hazards left unresolved, the delayed blocking of the manhole with a huge stone was an insignificant but too-late solution.
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