A community was in shock and mourning at the weekend after the bodies of three primary school girls who were best friends and neighbours were found in a trench prepared for water pipes in Mthatha and surrounding villages.
Sinazo Mbeshu, 11, and her two friends Lindokuhle Singata and Esethu Madondile, both 10, were last seen by their parents at about 4pm on Friday at Payne Farm village near Mthatha.
But they started to panic when by 5pm the children were not at any of their homes.
A search was launched by the community and clothes belonging to two of the girls were found on top of a big water pipe in one of the trenches.
Their parents, Zwelethu Mbeshu, Ndikhonanam Singata and Nondidlana Manyana, said their children were the best of friends.
“They were inseparable, they were like siblings and cared for each other,” Singata said.
The parents said that after they found the clothes they called the village traditional leader Bishop Vuyisile Plaatjie to assist.
Plaatjie said he tried phoning various authorities including KSD mayor Dumani Zozo.
He said they were assisted by a police diver who heard about the incident over the police radio.
The parents said that the water almost went over the diver’s head, showing how deep the trenches were.
“He pulled the children out, one by one. Seeing the bodies of the three little children lined up together really broke my heart.
“It was a few hours ago that they were playing happily, making a joyous noise, now their lifeless bodies lie silent. It was like the end of the world,” said Manyana, who is also a reverend at a Zion church.
The parents said that in their young lives, the three girls had experienced the good and the bad together.
“In 2014 our children, all three of them, were raped by a 42-year-old man. The man, who was said to have psychiatric ailments, was sentenced to life in prison.
“Our children were healing emotionally and were just recovering well ... and then they died together,” said Mbeshu.
Esethu was in Grade 4 at Dalubuhle Junior Secondary School, Lindokuhle was in Grade 6 at the same school and Mbeshu was in Grade 5 at Upper Zimbane Junior Secondary School.
When the Daily Dispatch team visited their homes on Saturday, friends and family were holding prayer services.
The parents said the trenches were not fenced and that the security guard employed to secure the trenches and prevent children from going close to them was not at his post that fateful day.
But when the Dispatch visited the site it was fenced, and it was not clear how the girls even gained access to the trench. The security guard was present.
The construction company responsible for digging trenches could not yesterday be reached for comment.
Mthatha police spokeswoman Captain Dineo Koena said they had opened three inquest dockets. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Children found dead in trench
Sinazo Mbeshu, 11, and her two friends Lindokuhle Singata and Esethu Madondile, both 10, were last seen by their parents at about 4pm on Friday at Payne Farm village near Mthatha.
But they started to panic when by 5pm the children were not at any of their homes.
A search was launched by the community and clothes belonging to two of the girls were found on top of a big water pipe in one of the trenches.
Their parents, Zwelethu Mbeshu, Ndikhonanam Singata and Nondidlana Manyana, said their children were the best of friends.
“They were inseparable, they were like siblings and cared for each other,” Singata said.
The parents said that after they found the clothes they called the village traditional leader Bishop Vuyisile Plaatjie to assist.
Plaatjie said he tried phoning various authorities including KSD mayor Dumani Zozo.
He said they were assisted by a police diver who heard about the incident over the police radio.
The parents said that the water almost went over the diver’s head, showing how deep the trenches were.
“He pulled the children out, one by one. Seeing the bodies of the three little children lined up together really broke my heart.
“It was a few hours ago that they were playing happily, making a joyous noise, now their lifeless bodies lie silent. It was like the end of the world,” said Manyana, who is also a reverend at a Zion church.
The parents said that in their young lives, the three girls had experienced the good and the bad together.
“In 2014 our children, all three of them, were raped by a 42-year-old man. The man, who was said to have psychiatric ailments, was sentenced to life in prison.
“Our children were healing emotionally and were just recovering well ... and then they died together,” said Mbeshu.
Esethu was in Grade 4 at Dalubuhle Junior Secondary School, Lindokuhle was in Grade 6 at the same school and Mbeshu was in Grade 5 at Upper Zimbane Junior Secondary School.
When the Daily Dispatch team visited their homes on Saturday, friends and family were holding prayer services.
The parents said the trenches were not fenced and that the security guard employed to secure the trenches and prevent children from going close to them was not at his post that fateful day.
But when the Dispatch visited the site it was fenced, and it was not clear how the girls even gained access to the trench. The security guard was present.
The construction company responsible for digging trenches could not yesterday be reached for comment.
Mthatha police spokeswoman Captain Dineo Koena said they had opened three inquest dockets. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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