Times Of Swaziland: SOLDIER WHO DROWNED JUST BACK FROM RUSSIA

SOLDIER WHO DROWNED JUST BACK FROM RUSSIA
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BY JOSEPH ZULU on 23/12/2021 10:06:00


PIGG’S PEAK – Some of his relatives described the  soldier who recently
downed as a person who could run into a burning house to save another’s life,
which is exactly what soldiers are trained for.
It is for this reason that even when he drowned, Themba Gumedze, who held a
senior position at Mdzimba Army Barracks, drowned while trying to ensure the
safety of an elderly person. Gumedze’s body was found on Tuesday, several
kilometres from where he was said to have drowned. The body was found at a place
known as Mpofu No. 7.
Divers
This was after soldiers and police scuba divers intensified the search and even
used a helicopter to follow the flow of the river. The deceased soldier is
originally from Mayiwane area, at a place known as Entokozweni. According to a
relative, Gumedze is said to have been in Russia for nearly six years, sent by
the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF). He would sometimes visit home while
he was based in Russia for undisclosed operational training. The relative also
revealed that the soldier had just returned from Russia, about six months ago.
At the time of his demise, he is said to have been travelling with a relative
when they reached a bridge. The relative is said to have wondered whether they
would be able to cross the river. It was then that Gumedze suggested that he
should check if indeed the vehicle could use the bridge. However, the relative
insisted that he would not be able to drive through. Gumedze is then said to
have decided to bath instead, but he was swept away by the river. It was
initially believed that he may have been attacked by a crocodile but his
relative said the body was intact when they retrieved it from the water.
Located
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile
Vilakati confirmed that the body of a 41-year-old man who was reported to have
drowned had been located. Several soldiers had gathered at his parental home at
Entokozweni near Buhleni yesterday to pass their condolensces. Noteworthy,
Gumedze’s relatives were still mourning the death of one of his uncles, who is
yet to be buried. When his family received a call about his drowning, his mother
was at another homestead mourning the death of her in-law, who is an uncle to
Gumedze.