Families of drowned pupils demand answers
THE FAMILIES of three pupils who drowned on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast are demanding answers from the 10 teachers who had accompanied them on a school netball and soccer excursion.
Pupils Zanele Vibima, 14, and Nomvula Zondi, 14, were confirmed dead on Saturday night – while the body of another pupil, Siyanda Buthelezi, who had apparently heroically saved the lives of other pupils – has yet to be found.
Police said last night the search for the 17year-old was continuing.
Zanele’s family said they were shocked by the incident. While her mother, Bongiwe Vibima, sat quietly on a mourning mattress with a tiny candle burning next to her, grandmother Tholakele spoke of the huge loss to the family.
She said they were struggling to come to terms with her death.
The family said Siyanda had rescued Zanele’s cousin, Buhle, and a neighbour.
The parents of the pupils are incensed by claims that the supervising teachers had been drinking alcohol while the children were at Margate Beach.
Nomvula’s father, Bongani Zondi, said his daughter’s excitement to go on the trip was high by the time she left home at about 5.30am on Saturday.
“When she left she was happy because it was her first time going on a trip.
“I gave her my second phone so that she could call me to fetch her because we expected they would come back late that day. “Her last words to me were ‘thank you’.” Zondi said he had a bad feeling that day and tried to call his daughter at about 1pm to tell her not to swim, but he could not reach her “She called me back after two hours and I missed her call, and when I tried again I couldn’t reach her.”
The pupils – who were travelling with 10 teachers to a South Coast school to play soccer and netball – had paid R180 each.
A trip to the beach had been part of the planned excursion.
The group had apparently arrived at the beach at 5pm and swam without lifeguards on duty.
Zondi said: “The explanation we got from the principal was not good enough because he was not there, so we would appreciate an explanation from the teachers who were there because he doesn’t know the real circumstances.
“We have been told they were busy drinking and having nice times while our kids were dying.”