News / Regional
Border jumper drowns in the flooded Limpopo River
24 Oct 2012 at 06:09hrs | Views
A 32-year-old suspected border jumper drowned in the flooded Limpopo River while attempting to illegally cross into Zimbabwe near Musetshe area in Beitbridge last Friday. Musetshe is about 60km east of the border town.
Sidion Munyai of Sasatshe village under Chief Elsh Matibe was on his way from South Africa along with two friends when tragedy struck.
Provincial police spokesperson for Matabeleland South, Assistant Inspector Christopher Ngwenya confirmed the incident yesterday.
He said Munyai's body was recovered by some villagers following a two-day search and was taken to the Beitbridge district hospital mortuary for a post-mortem.
"Preliminary investigations reveal that the now deceased was in the company of his two friends when they decided to illegally cross into Zimbabwe through the Limpopo River.
"They got into the flooded river and started swimming, resulting in Munyai drowning in the middle of the river. His two companions tried to rescue him without success. They then swam to safety and reported the matter to some villagers. A search was launched and the body was found floating near the same area after two days by another villager," said Ass Insp Ngwenya.
He said the body was in an advanced state of decomposition.
The drowning incident comes a year after five other border jumpers from Masvingo drowned in the same area on their way to South Africa.
Sidion Munyai of Sasatshe village under Chief Elsh Matibe was on his way from South Africa along with two friends when tragedy struck.
Provincial police spokesperson for Matabeleland South, Assistant Inspector Christopher Ngwenya confirmed the incident yesterday.
He said Munyai's body was recovered by some villagers following a two-day search and was taken to the Beitbridge district hospital mortuary for a post-mortem.
"Preliminary investigations reveal that the now deceased was in the company of his two friends when they decided to illegally cross into Zimbabwe through the Limpopo River.
"They got into the flooded river and started swimming, resulting in Munyai drowning in the middle of the river. His two companions tried to rescue him without success. They then swam to safety and reported the matter to some villagers. A search was launched and the body was found floating near the same area after two days by another villager," said Ass Insp Ngwenya.
He said the body was in an advanced state of decomposition.
The drowning incident comes a year after five other border jumpers from Masvingo drowned in the same area on their way to South Africa.
Source - TC