Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
POLICE have issued a warning to parents after two toddlers died in separate drowning tragedies in Bulawayo and Harare on the same day.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the public must take the warning seriously because both deaths could have been avoided.
The first case occurred in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, on 28 November 2025.
A three-year-old girl drowned after she slipped and fell into a toilet pit filled with water. The pit was about 2.5 metres deep. The child was reportedly playing in the yard when she vanished, only for horrified adults to find her body floating inside the waterlogged pit.
A few hours later, tragedy struck again in New Mabvuku, Harare. A two year old boy died after tumbling into a well about six metres deep at a house along Gurudzi Street.
“Parents and guardians are urged to closely supervise minors,” Comm Nyathi said, stressing that the latest incidents were a painful reminder of how fast disaster strikes.
He said the Zimbabwe Republic Police was deeply concerned by the rising number of deaths involving unsecured pits, wells and other open water sources.
“The ZRP implores the public to ensure that open water sources, pits and other hazards are secured to prevent similar tragedies,” he said.
Comm Nyathi urged communities to act now by covering wells, locking out dangerous areas and keeping a constant eye on toddlers who are naturally curious and quick on their feet.
“These are innocent lives lost,” he said. “We urge the public to prioritise safety to protect children from preventable harm.”
Police, the Commissioner said, will continue raising awareness, but the responsibility also lies with every household to keep children safe.
