The families of two boys who drowned at the Moretele Park pleasure resort in Mamelodi, Tshwane are demanding a proper inquest into their deaths.
The drowned boys are Mongezi Munyai (5) and Lungelo Thwala (8).
The incident happened on 21 August 2010 during an ANC Womens League event.
Now 14 years after the incident, the families of both boys are still haunted by the manner in which the boys met their demise and the subsequent inquest which found no one responsible for their deaths.
“An inquest docket was opened regarding the mysterious deaths of the two boys but all that happened afterwards is that we were summoned to the local Mamelodi Magistrates Court on 2 July 2015, where we were told that the matter had been closed, this without being given any reason for this decision,” lamented Mongezi’s father Vincent Monyai (52).
Monyai said he finds it difficult to understand as to how the inquest was closed without a proper hearing being conducted regarding the circumstances under which the two boys died.
He said according to information at his disposal, the two boys sneaked through the security fence surrounding the Moretele Park pleasure resort with the aim of swimming in the pool of the resort.
He said the security guards who were supposed to be on duty had apparently left their posts to go and grab some food that was being offered by the organisers of the event.
Monyai contends that the gates to the swimming pool area of the resort were not locked, and this allowed the boys easy access to the pool.
Monyai emphasised that the incident happened during the winter season and the pools were supposed to be closed at that time with no one being allowed to swim.
He told Tshwane Talks that on the day of the incident, he received a call from a neighbour alerting him to the drowning of Mongezi Monyai and Lungelo Thwala at the swimming pool of the Moretele Park pleasure resort.
“I then rushed to the pleasure resort and found my son’s lifeless body lying next to the pool,” he said.
“The security guards and the municipality’s supervisor of the pool gave police false information regarding the incident,” he fumed.
Monyai put it bluntly that they as the family put the blame on security guards for leaving their posts and also on police for failing to do a proper investigation into the matter.
“Someone must account for the unfortunate deaths of Mongezi and Lungelo and as the bereaved families we are demanding closure and justice in this matter,” he said.
Mongezi Monyai would have turned 20 years old this year while Lungelo Thwala would be celebrating his 22nd birthday.
Tshwane district spokesperson Johana van Dyk said the two boys drowned at Moretele Park.
“A inquest was investigated.
The court closed the investigation and concluded that the cause of death was drowning.
The family must take it with the owners of the facility,” said Van Dyk.