A family is mourning the death of their 25-year-old daughter who was killed by a crocodile while doing laundry at a river in Limpopo.
Mudzanani Humbelani from Tshitomboni village, outside Thohoyandou, was attacked by the crocodile on New Year’s Day.
Ward councillor Phillip Munyai said the death could have been avoided.
“This is a very sad day. The young woman wouldn’t be doing laundry at the river if the municipality provided the community with water,” he charged.
Munyai said the Nandoni Dam in the area should be providing water to the community, but that was not the case. Instead, he said, water from the dam was provided to people in other areas.
Humbelani is survived by four siblings and her parents.
At the time of her death, she was doing an agricultural learnership.
“The deceased’s home is 200m from the dam but they don’t have water in the area. Locals are not benefiting from the dam in their area. When the dam was being built, people were promised they would have water,” Munyai said.
He said this is not the first tragedy to hit the area.
He said four people had been killed by crocodiles in the same river while doing their laundry, bathing or fetching water.
Munyai said water trucks deliver water once a week.
This article will be updated with a response from the municipality.
TimesLIVE
