Vusumuzi Dube
Blessed Moyo and Panashe Marijeni
Sunday News Reporters
A SEVEN-year-old minor on Wenesday died after falling into a man-made well located at Pelandaba West suburb in Bulawayo.
The now deceased had gone to visit her mother who is a vendor at the local shopping center when she stepped on a makeshift plastic cover that was meant to seal the hole and fell inside the hole.
Confirming the incident, Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer, Mr Mhlangano Moyo said that they received a call reporting a child fallen in a man-made well at Pelandaba West in the eMakharathini area.
“After receiving the call, we quickly went to the site and unfortunately retrieved the body of the child, as the minor had died after falling into the well,” said Mr Moyo.
The father of the child Mr Mduduzi Sibanda (38) said that it was the first time for the deceased to be playing in that area as she was always doing her school work or at home.
“My daughter was not a playful person she was either at home doing her chores or at school so this came as a surprise to me to hear that she fell into the hole as a result of childhood play,” said Mr Sibanda.
At the site of the incident, Sunday News caught up with the minor’s uncles who were still trying to come to terms with the accident.
They said that if the hole was properly sealed or covered the incident would not have happened.
“The well needs to have an elevated slab that permits anything from going over it as a safety precaution,” said Mr Elliot Ncube, one of the uncles.
After the exhumation of the body, the fire brigade team came with an immediate solution to the problem and covered the well with a solid concrete slab temporarily banning usage of the well.
derick.khumalo