The family of a four-year-old child who drowned after he was allegedly pushed into a small pond by a seven-year-old child in Chesterville, Durban, are still shattered and struggling to make sense of the devastating loss.
The child, Leeto Mabizela, who allegedly drowned last Thursday afternoon, was laid to rest on Wednesday.
Leeto’s father, Xolani, told TimesLIVE Premium that on the day of the incident, his son came back from school in his usual jovial mood.
He said after he ate, he went out to play with other children as they usually do.
“I could see them playing, but I wasn’t paying much attention to them. So while they were playing he [the seven-year-old child] came and proposed that they go play on the other side. There were about five of them. So the other kids told us that they weren’t playing around in the usual area, and because it was a bit hot, the neighbour’s child suggested that they swim at the pond,” said Xolani.
Xolani said he was told by the other children that the older boy told his son to undress first so they could swim.
However, said Xolani, the other children didn’t undress and his son was allegedly pushed into the water.
Unable to swim, the child struggled to breathe and stay afloat and called for help.
“They said after a while, his eyes turned white and he was no longer paddling. I suspect that they didn’t know what to do but didn’t come immediately to report what had happened. Instead, they went home and left him like that.
I see other kids playing, and I can’t help but think of my son. Even that child that pushed him, he still plays and I understand he is a child and probably hasn’t understood what he did. To him, they were playing and that’s it.
— Xolani Mabizela, father
“They say he [the seven-year-old child] told them that they would be beaten up by their parents if they said something. The pond is surrounded by some trees, and even if you walk on the road, you won’t see anything.
“One of the children told his elder brother that Leeto was drowning. Mind you, that was maybe two hours after he drowned. The brother came and told Leeto’s mother, and they rushed to the pond. I was away, and I got a call and came running. When I got there, they had already taken him out of the pond, and he was lying there and not responding,” he said.
He said he immediately drove him to King Edward VIII hospital hoping the nurses and doctors would be able to resuscitate him. However, he was too late.
He said the doctors told him that her son passed away about two hours ago and he was already cold.
“I froze and my mind went all over the place. I mean, I last saw him playing with other kids three hours before. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Even talking about it just breaks my heart. It’s hard, his mother is really battling to accept it, and I’m also failing to. I see other kids playing, and I can’t help but think of my son. Even that child that pushed him, he still plays, and I understand he is a child and probably hasn’t understood what he did. To him, they were playing and that’s it,” he said.
He said the father of the neighbour’s child came to pay his condolences to the family and he had no choice but to accept it on the understanding that the boy thought they were playing around.
Xolani said preparing for the funeral was the hardest part as he is unemployed, while his girlfriend works part-time.
He said they had to borrow money from loan sharks to cover the funeral cost, leaving them in serious debt.
“Some community members helped us a lot and we are grateful,” he said.
KwaZulu-Natal SAPS spokesperson Lt-Col Nqobile Gwala confirmed the incident and said Cato Manor police are investigating an inquest docket.
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