WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2008-10-30 Time: 16:00:10 Posted By: Jan
By Lesego Masemola
The Mabopane parents of a seven-year-old boy, whose body was recovered by police at a dam near Morula Sun are asking why it took police so long to find their missing child.
Lizzie and Collin Maditsi are also struggling to understand why the boy’s friends failed to inform them in time that he had drowned.
The Grade 2 pupil from Mpho Primary School went missing on Saturday afternoon after he went out to play with friends.
On Tuesday afternoon, his half naked body was found in a dam near the hotel, while his trousers and T-shirt were found on a nearby stone.
“He left here around noon that Saturday to go play. His father instructed his brother to go looking for him around 4pm as it was about to rain. We went to all his friends and they told us all sorts of stories.
“Some even claimed not to have seen him that day. We started panicking around 9pm and informed the police,” said his mother Lizzie.
It seems that on Saturday, Tshegofatso and his three friends went to play in the dam like they usually do, but only three of them came back, leaving him behind.
One of his friends allegedly came back with the shoes and jacket Tshegofatso was wearing that day but only handed them over to Tshegofatso’s parents on Sunday, but did not explain what had happened.
“At first they said they all went to a wedding and then Tshegofatso disappeared into an unknown car. Then the other friend could not explain why the clothes he had were wet or tell us about the last time he saw him.
“Only when the police and social workers convinced the friends to tell the truth on Tuesday, did we find Tshegofatso’s body,” said Lizzie’s sister Marry Seoketse.
The family is also bitter that police did not react immediately to search for the boy, and that only when the ward councillor, Bongi Lehobye, who is also the MMC for safety, intervened, did police take action.
“She came to see us on Sunday and we went to the police station with her.
“(Lehobye gave instructions) to the police. The next thing we knew there were divers, metro police and members of the SAPS looking for the child.
“They went from door to door on Tuesday and persuaded the children to tell the truth. Then Tshego’s body was found in the dam,” said Seokotse.
The family said although they appreciate Lehobye’s efforts, they struggled to understand why police did not act like they did in the past.
“Why can’t police act on time, treat this as an urgent matter?
“This is a seven-year-old who did not sleep at home for three nights in a row. If it was a 16- or 18-year-old, I would understand. When we talk we are not heard but when influential people speak, police listen and act,” said Lizzie.
On Wednesday, Lehobye and mayor Gwen Ramokgopa visited the home in Mabopane to offer their condolences.
Ramokgopa urged community members who had gathered at the home to keep an eye on their children and to discourage them from swimming in the dam.
“We are saddened by what has happened: that a child drowned while he was playing. We are aware that the police response was not spontaneous and that this is something that no one could have anticipated.
This a matter that needs to be discussed with the community on how to avoid such situations, to improve structures… pools for them to swim in,” she said.
Mabopane police were not available for comment.