INLSA
Amaphoyisa angabatshuzi ezobheka isidumbu sengane emfuleni e Welberdacht.ISITHOMBE PATRICK MTOLO
Lungelo Mkamba and Simphiwe Ndwandwe
THE community of Welbedacht West in Chatsworth has vowed to continue searching for the body of 9-year-old Thabile Cele, who drowned in a river last week.
On Friday, Thabile and a group of children were collecting firewood when some of them decided to swim.
Community spokesman Mandla Mpungose said Thabile had fallen into the river and was carried away by the current.
A search for her body began on Friday afternoon.
Mpungose said the police and search and rescue unit divers had searched the area, but had not found her body.
A picture of 9-year-old Thabile Cele, who drowned in a river at Welbedacht last week. Picture: Patrick Mtolo
INLSA
The divers said their efforts had been hampered by long grass.
Mpungose said the divers had resumed the search on Sunday, but had again complained about long grass.
“We are not satisfied because the divers were not accompanied or assisted by police sniffer dogs. We have no choice but to be patient and see what the outcome of their search is.”
He agreed that the long grass was impeding the search.
“She could be trapped underneath by the grass. Her body should be floating by now,” he said.
One of the divers in the search effort, who would not be named because he is not allowed to speak to the media, said the divers would return to the river with sniffer dogs once they had completed another case.
“The search has to be postponed until we return with the dogs. The municipality needs to cut the grass to ensure the search is easier, because the chances of finding her at the moment are slim,” he said.
Mpungose said a boy had drowned in the river earlier this year, and his body had been found by locals.
“The community would not stop searching because the family was traumatised.
“Yesterday (on Monday), the community searched for virtually the entire day and we will not stop until we have found her,” he said.
Police spokesman Vincent Mdunge said the search had not been called off.
He said officials were assessing the situation daily to determine when to resume searching.
