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The body of Ms Singo is removed from the spot where she was snatched by the crocodile.

Sorrow and grief grip community after crocodile kills woman

 

The killing of a woman by a crocodile while she was fetching water at the Mutshundudi River in Malavuwe outside Thohoyandou has sent shivers of sorrow through the community.

Ms Magareth Tendani Singo (52) was in the company of another woman when the crocodile struck and dragged her into the deep water.

Information at this paper's disposal is that the two women came from an all-night church service and were instructed to get water for church rituals at a particular spot at the notorious Mutshundudi. Eyewitnesses said it was past six o'clock on Sunday morning when the two ventured to the river.

A crocodile surprised them and grabbed Singo, while the other woman tried unsuccessfully to rescue her from its sharp teeth. After realising that she was fighting a losing battle, she gave up and summoned help at the nearby resort.

The community was notified, who in turn alerted the police. Within a short space of time the river was swarming with hundreds of community members who volunteered to search for the missing woman, but none of their efforts yielded any positive results.

Police divers, conservation officials and a search party composed of volunteers from the community spent the whole day combing the river, but nothing was found except for the church hat and jersey the woman had been wearing.

Grieving family members and volunteers from the community spent the whole night keeping a vigil at the spot where the woman was attacked.

In the morning, a short meeting was held at the river to chart the way forward. It was decided that alternative canals would be dug to speed up the flow of the water from the river to make the task easier for the volunteers and the divers. A big grader, belonging to a local businessman, was used to dig the canals, and this paid off when the woman was finally found at around midday on Monday.

Fortunately, her body was found intact with only some scratch marks.

Emergency personnel who were monitoring the situation had their hands full as relatives collapsed. The deceased woman's children had to be taken away in an ambulance after they fainted.

Vhakoma Vho-Mpfariseni Robert Tshinale, who was at the scene the whole day, said the river had caused more pain to the community as many had lost their lives while swimming, doing their washing and fishing. "We are saddened by this latest casualty and we urge the community to stay away from this river as it is dangerous. We cannot afford to lose more lives and it becomes more dangerous, now that summer is taking its toll and many will be tempted to go and swim," he said. Tshinale thanked the community for having stood together and ensuring that the body was found.

Limpopo police spokesperson Lt-Col Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed the incident and said they had opened an inquest, following the discovery of the body of the woman. He warned members of the community not to be tempted to venture into rivers as the waters are dangerous and infested with killer creatures.

He said after the incident had been reported, they had assembled search teams that included SAPS divers, EMS personnel and the nature conservation personnel who worked tirelessly with the community and finally retrieved the body.

Community members at the banks of the river where the woman was grabbed by a crocodile.

Search parties were dispatched to look for the missing woman.

A grader of a local businessman opens a canal to speed up the flow of the water from where the incident happened.

Police divers led volunteers who assisted in the search for the missing woman.

Policemen at the point where the woman was snatched by the crocodile.

Volunteers who combed the river for the missing woman bring her body to the shore of the river.

The body of the woman is brought to the bank of the river.

The government mortuary van takes the body away

Part of the huge crowd that had gathered at the scene where the body was found.

 

Date:25 November 2017

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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