The body of a missing toddler was found floating in murky waters a day after his mom reported him missing.
Mom Nikelwa Mbhando, 30, says she last saw her one-year-old son Oluhle on Thursday while he was playing with his older sister outside their shack.
She says she found him in the dirty stagnant water which is less than 20 metres from their Eyadini informal settlement home in Samora Machel on Friday morning.
“I had come home from visiting my neighbours on Thursday before 3.30pm and then I left him as I had to prepare for my night shift,” she explains.
“I thought that he was outside with his sister and other kids who were playing.
“It was around 4pm when I asked my eight-year-old daughter where he was but she didn’t know and I asked her to go look for him and she couldn’t find him.”
The grieving mom says she got a fright and immediately started searching for her little boy.
“I also didn’t even find him at the neighbour’s house where I usually go.
‘I went to the police station and they used the loudhailer to call his name, meanwhile the other community members were also searching for my son.”
She says they stopped the search as the area has no lights or electricity and it was pitch black.
“We eventually gave up on that night and went to sleep.”
Nikelwa tells the Daily Voice the following morning her neighbours came to tell her that they had found Oluhle’s body.
“It was around 10am, he was found inside a pond with murky water. He was covered with dry reeds and buried in water.
“When his body was taken out, I saw foam coming from his mouth,” the mom cries.
“No one knows how he ended up in the water and I am confused because we went to search there and we didn’t find him the previous day.”
The mom of two, who has lived in the area for almost three years, now cannot bear to live in the area.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirms the incident: “On Friday morning, community members spotted a body floating in a dam in the Eyadini Informal settlement.
“The body was retrieved from the water.
“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel.
“Samora Machel Police registered an inquest for further investigation.”
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.