Two matric pupils drowned on Thursday when they went swimming at Amanzimtoti Beach, south of Durban, after a school outing.
They were among 84 pupils from Sizathina secondary school in Dududu, Umkomaas, who attended an annual career exhibition at the Durban University of Technology.
The pupils are understood to have asked their teachers to take them to the beach after the exhibition.
However, tragedy struck when Asanda Cele, 17 and Zamazwide Masoka, 18, encountered difficulty and drowned at the Toti Beach river mouth.
The drowning at about 4pm allegedly occurred at a site not approved for swimming.
A Sizathina school pupil, who asked not to be named, said their teachers allowed them to go swimming as a reward for their good behaviour during the career exhibition.
He said most of the pupils were from a rural area and not used to swimming.
Provincial education department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the department was awaiting an incident report of the drowning.
“We would like to send our condolences to the families of the deceased, the school and classmates. We will also send a team of psychologists to the school for the trauma debriefing.”
KZN police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said an inquest docket had been opened after the deaths of the pupils.
Sizathina school principal Khanyisile Dlamini said she couldn’t comment immediately.
A local community leader, Sizile Mchithakali, said: “The government must try to offer swimming lessons in rural areas as well, as schools have sports days once a week. They could use this time to teach pupils how to swim, so cases like this one could be avoided.”
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Two matriculants drown at Toti beach after school outing
Image: Supplied
Two matric pupils drowned on Thursday when they went swimming at Amanzimtoti Beach, south of Durban, after a school outing.
They were among 84 pupils from Sizathina secondary school in Dududu, Umkomaas, who attended an annual career exhibition at the Durban University of Technology.
The pupils are understood to have asked their teachers to take them to the beach after the exhibition.
However, tragedy struck when Asanda Cele, 17 and Zamazwide Masoka, 18, encountered difficulty and drowned at the Toti Beach river mouth.
The drowning at about 4pm allegedly occurred at a site not approved for swimming.
A Sizathina school pupil, who asked not to be named, said their teachers allowed them to go swimming as a reward for their good behaviour during the career exhibition.
He said most of the pupils were from a rural area and not used to swimming.
Provincial education department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the department was awaiting an incident report of the drowning.
“We would like to send our condolences to the families of the deceased, the school and classmates. We will also send a team of psychologists to the school for the trauma debriefing.”
KZN police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said an inquest docket had been opened after the deaths of the pupils.
Sizathina school principal Khanyisile Dlamini said she couldn’t comment immediately.
A local community leader, Sizile Mchithakali, said: “The government must try to offer swimming lessons in rural areas as well, as schools have sports days once a week. They could use this time to teach pupils how to swim, so cases like this one could be avoided.”
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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