Family devasted amid 10-year-old's drowning

THE family of 10-year-old Thapelo Johannes Morapola has to wait in desperation as search operations for the young boy continues.

Thapelo from Ga-Seleka in Lephalale in the Waterburg district was swept away by the raging Phalala River in Limpopo on 1 January 2025.

According to police in Limpopo, Johannes was with two more people (an adult and a boy) whose bodies have since been retrieved.

Family spokeswoman Babotsing Dibitso (60) said they are not coping.

"The kids drowned on New Year's Day after going out to play as usual. We were shocked later on when we were alerted that our kids drowned in the Phalala River. Police and divers came to the scene but didn't help to retrieve our kid.They said they came across seven hippos and called off the search operation," Babotsing said.

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Thapelo, who attended school at Baphoting Primary School, would have been going to grade 4 this year.

"We're not coping as a family. We can't sleep and can't eat because we don't know if he's still alive or not. Soon, kids will be going back to school and ours is still missing. We're devastated."

Limpopo has recorded at least five drowning incidents since the beginning of January. The latest incident happened at Sesalemane where two young boys aged 16 were swept away by the river on 4 January. Their bodies have since been found.

Limpopo police spokesman Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said these incidents are not the first to be reported in Phalala River.

"Our search teams are working round the clock to retrieve the victim's body. This incident is not the first to happen in the Phalala River. On 7 February 2024 a 10-year-old boy was allegedly attacked by a crocodile and disappeared in the river. Another 18-year-old boy was attacked while swimming but managed to free himself from the crocodiles and was admitted to hospital. We're calling on parents and guardians to look after kids," Ledwaba said.