News / National
Death as kids drop grandpa into 23m well
24 Aug 2016 at 06:34hrs | Views
A 75-YEAR-OLD man from Redwood in Umguza District died after he plunged headlong into a 23-metre deep well trying to retrieve a water bucket while being assisted by three children under the age of 15.
Elias Moyo is alleged to have instructed the children aged 12, 14 and 15, two of them girls, to lower him into the well using a rope so that he could retrieve the bucket.
However, tragedy struck when they failed to sustain his weight and he fell into the well.
One of the children told The Chronicle that they initially refused to lower Moyo into the well but he insisted they should do it.
The incident occurred last week on Wednesday at a homestead in Umguza.
Moyo was buried on Saturday.
Villagers said they remain confused whether the rope the children were using snapped or he was too heavy for them.
They said Moyo was a caretaker at the homestead whose owners live in Bulawayo.
The villagers said it did not make sense to them that an adult could ask children to lower him down a well.
One of the neighbours, Mrs Lilian Ngwenya, said the children only informed them about the incident when they failed to get a response from Moyo after calling out his name.
"We don't really know what transpired but one of the children rushed to tell us that ukhulu had fallen into the pit. They said he fell while trying to retrieve a water bucket. We ran to the scene and found him still alive. We could also communicate with him," said Mrs Ngwenya.
She said he died while villagers were trying to retrieve him.
Another villager who declined to be named said Moyo broke his spinal cord after falling into the well.
Mrs Mavis Ndlovu, another villager, said it did not make sense for Moyo to go down a deep well just to retrieve a bucket.
"Normally we look for wires that we lower down the well to hook up buckets. It doesn't make sense that he wanted to go down the well himself. We're left with unanswered questions. Even asking children; two girls and a boy to lower him does not make sense," she said.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Sergeant Namatirai Mashona could not be reached for comment.
Elias Moyo is alleged to have instructed the children aged 12, 14 and 15, two of them girls, to lower him into the well using a rope so that he could retrieve the bucket.
However, tragedy struck when they failed to sustain his weight and he fell into the well.
One of the children told The Chronicle that they initially refused to lower Moyo into the well but he insisted they should do it.
The incident occurred last week on Wednesday at a homestead in Umguza.
Moyo was buried on Saturday.
Villagers said they remain confused whether the rope the children were using snapped or he was too heavy for them.
They said Moyo was a caretaker at the homestead whose owners live in Bulawayo.
The villagers said it did not make sense to them that an adult could ask children to lower him down a well.
One of the neighbours, Mrs Lilian Ngwenya, said the children only informed them about the incident when they failed to get a response from Moyo after calling out his name.
"We don't really know what transpired but one of the children rushed to tell us that ukhulu had fallen into the pit. They said he fell while trying to retrieve a water bucket. We ran to the scene and found him still alive. We could also communicate with him," said Mrs Ngwenya.
She said he died while villagers were trying to retrieve him.
Another villager who declined to be named said Moyo broke his spinal cord after falling into the well.
Mrs Mavis Ndlovu, another villager, said it did not make sense for Moyo to go down a deep well just to retrieve a bucket.
"Normally we look for wires that we lower down the well to hook up buckets. It doesn't make sense that he wanted to go down the well himself. We're left with unanswered questions. Even asking children; two girls and a boy to lower him does not make sense," she said.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Sergeant Namatirai Mashona could not be reached for comment.
Source - chronicle
