NGWENYA – It was a cold day in the country on Thursday, but for children it was the best time to be outdoors and play.
Six-year-old Cebo Shongwe and *Jack went out to play with their two friends aged about three. This happened after Cebo had returned from school.
The four children wandered into a nearby homestead where there is an incomplete house and beside it is a dug-out septic tank filled with greenish, murky water.
It is alleged that the children began playing within the homestead and drew closer to the septic tank, not knowing that two of them would never be seen alive again.
The two children fell into the septic tank and drowned. The septic tank is about two metres by six metres, while the depth is estimated at about 2.5 metres.
This incident happened exactly two months after World Drowning Prevention Day held on July 25, 2025.
According to Cebo’s father, Wonder Shongwe, one of the children fell into the water while trying to fetch a small plastic toy truck, which was still visible in the water the following day.
*Not their real names, to protect identity.
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Concerns over incomplete, abandoned homesteads
NGWENYA – An inner council representative responsible for allocating land in the area, Menzi Magagula, said he was aware of the incident, describing it as tragedy.
He urged residents to take responsibility for ensuring that the environment is safe for children. He said trenches and septic pits should be closed or secured because they posed a deadly risk. “Imigodzi iyavalwa,” he explained, meaning that trenches have killed people, and warned that children can die if they fall into such hazardous places.
Magagula expressed concern that the homestead where the boys died was unoccupied, and he confirmed that in the community many houses had been left half-constructed or abandoned, with owners disappearing without a trace. He said the council had begun a programme to monitor such properties to prevent further accidents.
The incident has drawn comparisons with other tragedies that have recently occurred in Eswatini.
The Times of Eswatini has previously reported that the country recorded at least 16 drowning deaths since January this year, a statistic highlighted during the commemoration of World Drowning Prevention Day.
The newspaper observed that as water-related activities increased, especially among children, the need for education and safe infrastructure had become urgent.
Also, previous articles published by the Times of Eswatini have highlighted the need to ensure the safety of the children, particularly when they wander off to play, sometimes not far from home, yet unsafe. In one earlier incident, two siblings who had gone missing near Gobholo, Mbabane, were later discovered lifeless in a vehicle at a neighbour’s homestead. That story, widely shared on the Times of Eswatini’s platforms, shocked the nation and underlined how quickly young lives could be lost when basic safety was neglected.
Internationally, drowning is recognised as one of the leading causes of accidental death among children.
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Boy (3) witnesses drowning, runs to report it
NGWENYA – Had it not been a three-year –old who went to report the incident, the two children would have been probably marked as missing.
This is because, it would have taken the family longer to realise that the children had drowned as their bodies sank to the bottom of the septic tank. When the boys drowned, two of their friends, aged three, watched in shock.
When the remaining two children realised that their friends had disappeared beneath the water, they fled in shock. It was not clear how long the two children lingered at the edge of the septic tank before leaving, but eventually one of the boys, *Jim, ran to his home and told adults that, “Bangene emantini”, meaning, “they are in the water”.
When the boy reported the incident, his parents expressed disbelief that a child so young could describe what had happened, but his account led to the discovery of the tragedy at about 4pm. After the discovery of the bodies, the police were called.
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Thieves stole septic tank cover, fencing
NGWENYA – Had thieves not stolen material from the homestead where the children drowned, the tragic incident would not have happened.
This is because initially, when the house was being constructed, the premises of the homestead was secured with wire fencing. In fact, even the dug-out septic tank was also secured.
However, like many other parts of towns in the country, criminals steal the fencing material as well as the cover from the septic tank.
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Family seeks assistance for coffins
NGWENYA – In times like this, the family can do with a helping hand.
Wonder Shongwe, who is the father of one of the boys, stated that the incident had come at a time when the family was still grieving other relatives who died recently.
Shongwe said he is originally from Luve, adding that it is likely his son would be buried there. He could not speak on behalf of Jack who also drowned.
He said the family would need help, particularly with the purchase of a coffin. Anyone wishing to assist the family could call on 7632 9076.
**Full article available in our publication.
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