The body of 45-year-old Esther Mathenjwa, who was swept away in a stream on Wednesday night, has been recovered by community members in Msholozi village outside Mbombela in Mpumalanga.
Mathenjwa was returning home at about 9pm when she was overpowered by water from the stream.
She was the second person to be killed in the stream in two days. On Tuesday, a two-year-old toddler who followed his mother drowned in the stream.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Col Jabu Ndubane told Sowetan they received a complaint from the community on Wednesday night, but police divers could not start the search in the darkness.
“In the morning (Thursday) community members helped police search and found her body about 5km from where she was swept away. She was declared dead and we have opened an inquest docket,” said Ndubane.
Ward committee member Donald Motha told Sowetan Mathenjwa, who lived with her three-year-old child and disabled husband, was the breadwinner and was coming back from work when she drowned.
“It is very sad because we have lost two people, the child Jabulani Mnisi who drowned on Tuesday, and Mathenjwa.
“The contractor should have started with bridges but that did not happen.
”We are in trouble, as the stream divides the community, and people going to work and children going to school need to use it to cross to the other side,” said Motha.
Sowetan
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.