Chronicle EditorNelias Shiri, Chronicle Reporter
Three people including an eight-month-old drowned in Bulawayo Province on Sunday and Monday.
Police in Bulawayo are appealing to the public to avoid crossing flooded rivers during the rainy reason to prevent drowning.
The first case occurred on Sunday when the now-deceased Mkhululi Tshuma (32) of Bhiko Compound in Umguza went to work in the morning but did not return home. On Monday, his wife found his body floating in the flooded Umguza River.
On the same day, a 22-year-old woman left her baby sleeping on the bed with a bucket full of water by the side of the bed. After some minutes she returned only to find her baby having fallen into the bucket full of water and drowned.
In another case an unidentified man believed to be about 30 years old was found floating in Umguza River near Airport Road on Monday. His body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for postmortem.
In a statement ZRP Bulawayo Provincial spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube blamed negligence and ignorance among members of the public saying that the three deaths could have been avoided. “This is worrying as probably all these incidents were avoidable. We always preach the same gospel of removing water buckets from the vicinity of children but the campaign seems to fall on deaf ears,” said Insp Ncube.
“As rains continue some rivers are flooded which pose a danger to human lives if one attempts to cross. It is the duty and responsibility of the public to understand a clear message police is spreading to avoid loss of life.
All life risking activities during this rainy season must be stopped at all costs.”
Last month a Grade Two pupil drowned in a pool in Ntshamathe area under Chief Sigola’s area.
“We also urge members of the public not to cross flooded rivers but we are not taken seriously. We appeal to the members of the public to desist from crossing flooded rivers or exposing their children to dangerous places with pits and buckets,” Insp Ncube said.
In the Midlands, three passengers, including a minor, onboard a pirating Toyota Noah drowned when the vehicle was swept away after its driver attempted to cross a flooded river in Zvishavane at the weekend.
The three got out of the car through the windows but unfortunately drowned.
The other seven passengers and the driver managed to disembark from the vehicle and swam to safety.
Online Reporter