Elephant trampled boy, 6, to death

A SIX-YEAR-Old boy was trampled to death by an elephant while his sister watched helplessly.

The tragedy occurred on Tuesday at around 11AM at Chituripasi in Beitbridge East.

Beitbridge Rural District Council acting chief executive officer Peter Ncube said the local authority had since engaged local safari hunters from Three Way Safaris to hunt down the jumbo.

"We've notified the police and the local safari operator.

"The elephant is reported to be in the same area" he said.

"Indications are that the now deceased was coming from pre-school in the company of an elder sister and another minor when they came across the jumbo."

Ncube said the elder sister fled to the other side of the road while the boy tried to run to the nearest homestead.

He said the elephant attacked and killed the boy.

The wild animal, Ncube said, guarded the body for sometime before disappearing towards the Limpopo River.

Chituripasi Ward One councillor, Enock Ndou, said villagers had earlier spotted the elephant near the local business centre but it didn't look agitated.

The councillor said villagers were now living in fear and were pinning their hopes on the local safari operator to take action.

The police spokesperson for Matabeleland South Assistant Inspector Nkosinathi Sibanda could not be reached for comment.

Elephants have become a perennial menace in areas along the borderline where they attack human beings or destroy irrigation schemes and crops.