adminWhinsley Masara, Chronicle Reporter
TWO sisters aged seven and 11 years from Kamativi drowned as they tried to catch fish from an abandoned open–cast pit.
The two went missing on Saturday at around 10AM and their bodies were retrieved 24 hours later at the water filled pit.
Nomthandazo Nkomo was a Grade 3 pupil at Kamativi Primary School and Michelle Nyathi was doing Grade 6 at St Theresa Primary School.
Their uncle Mr Shadreck Nyathi said the family and community is in shock over the tragedy.
“The incident occurred when the children’s mother was away. She had gone to Botswana for business and sadly, we had to call her to rush back home when the girls went missing on Saturday.
“Their brother, who was with them when disaster struck, is so traumatised that he is failing to narrate what transpired,” he said.
Mr Nyathi said the girls left home with their Form One brother, Brandon Nkomo, to water a garden which is a distance from their home but close to the dam.
“The open-cast pit, which was abandoned some years back by Kamativi Tin Mine, now holds volumes of water as well as fish and normally people catch fish from there and they use that water for their gardens.
“The three left home around 9AM and while their brother watered the garden, the girls decided to catch fish from the dam using some old nets that they found at the edge of the dam,” he said.
Mr Nyathi said the girls caught a few fish on the first attempt but when they returned for the second round, they never resurfaced until the next day.
“It is unfortunate they both never came back on their second attempt. Well, at the moment we can’t really quiz the boy. All he told us is that the girls did not return until he decided to notify villagers,” he said.
Mr Robert Mugande, who is Chief Saba’s deputy, said the community organised a search party for the girls.
“The whole of Saturday, we didn’t find them and when we returned to the dam on Sunday morning, we found their bodies floating. This is a sad and shocking incident. To their parents, we say may they find comfort in the Lord.
“I advise the community to be very careful and to strongly monitor children around open-casts as they can be dangerous,” said Mr Mugande.
A teacher in the community who spoke on condition of anonymity said the girl’s aunt informed her on Sunday morning that the two girls had not returned home the previous day.
“Moments after I had just shared that information with other teachers, the aunt sent me another message on Whatsapp informing me that they had been found dead.
“It is a big loss to the school, family and community and we are in shock. May they rest in peace,” she said.
The children were buried at Kamativi Cemetery yesterday.
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