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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
A FESTIVE season holiday for a Harare family was cut short after their 11-year-old daughter drowned in a swimming pool at Hwange Safari Lodge.
The incident occurred on Thursday last week and the girl has since been buried.
The girl has been identified as Ruvarashe Bianca Gotora from Athlone Avenue in Grendale, Harare.
She was playing with other children near the swimming pool when she suddenly disappeared only for her body to be retrieved from the swimming pool an hour later.
The girl’s uncle who only identified himself as White said he was too weak to speak about the issue and referred questions to the police saying he had made a report about the incident.
“As things stand we reported the matter to the police who handled everything and interviewed everyone who was there. I don’t think I’m in a position to give a statement without the police clearance,” said White.
Police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Inspector Siphiwe Makonese could not be drawn to confirm the incident.
The girl’s other uncle Shepherd Manyenga confirmed the death of his niece in a telephone interview from Marondera.
“She had gone with my brother-in-law (White) for a holiday with other children and on the third day the adults decided to swim.
“From what we were told the girl jumped into an adult swimming pool and my brother-in-law quickly pulled her away to where other children were.
“ He later went to buy drinks and when he came back the girl was nowhere to be seen. They looked for her and no one suspected she could have gone back to the swimming pool after being rebuked,” said Manyenga.
“Later on a grounds man entered the pool and found the body. That’s all we know because we were phoned and all we did was collect the body from Bulawayo.”
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu