Missing boy’s body found in stream

Women from Egoli broke out in a solemn hymn as the body of 11-year-old Renino Kennedy – believed to be the latest victim of illegal electricity connections in Buffalo City – was found floating in a stream.

His body was carried to a mortuary van, while a nearby ambulance, which had been dispatched to the boy’s home in Egoli, East London, then drove his grief-stricken mother to hospital.

At the scene, Renino’s father Thanduxolo Kennedy fought-back his tears and said: “Nothing is okay at this point.”

On Thursday, a frantic 24-hour search for the missing 11-year-old boy ended with the discovery of his body floating in a stream near his home.

Renino’s body was found by police and community members during an intensive search throughout Egoli on Thursday afternoon.

The child was reported missing on Wednesday afternoon when he did not return from playing with friends after he had finished school, his grief-stricken father said.

Kennedy led the Dispatch to the place where the little boy was last seen alive. He had been with the search party when they made the gruesome discovery

Community members had gathered in numbers around the scene in the pouring rain as police members, as well as a group of men from the area, worked to pull Renino’s s body out of the water and up a slippery and dense bush-covered ravine. His body was retrieved about two hours after he was found in the stream, which was in flood.

It is believed that the boy had been playing with his friends near the stream on Wednesday when he stepped on live wires running over the stream, and was electrocuted.

The boy’s father said his son’s friends had witnessed the traumatic incident but had not reported it until later.

“Those boys saw it but they kept quiet about it,” said Kennedy.

He said the family had reported him missing to the police after they had searched for him but to no avail.

He was last seen alive by his family on Wednesday afternoon when he returned from school.

Renino’s body was lain down in the bush and covered with a blanket as the police waited for a state mortuary van to arrive at the scene.

The mortuary vehicle could not make its way down the slippery, muddy footpath leading to the scene, and staff had to go on foot to collect the body.

A group of women singing hymns at the scene then moved en masse to the Kennedy home.

Police spokesperson warrant officer Hazel Mqala said: “The body was recovered after the parents went to the police to report. A missing person had been registered. An inquest docket has since been opened.”