CHILD ELECTROCUTED
A family in Mossel Bay is looking for answers after two-year-old Esona Alexander was electrocuted on Tuesday, 20 April.
The incident happened at approximately 12:30 at the Alexanders’ home in Adriaans Avenue.
Esona was playing in their yard while her mother, Nosisi Alexander (27), was sitting outside, watching her.
“She was playing near the fence and touched a steel pole, when she was shocked. She didn’t make a sound.
We got into the car and rushed her to the Mossel Bay Provincial Hospital but she was declared dead.”
A tearful Nosisi says the family believes it was a live wire running underneath the paved road and towards their fence that was the cause of her daughter’s death.
“About two years ago we phoned the municipality because there was smoke coming from the area where Esona was shocked to death. The municipality then sent an employee of theirs to investigate our report. According to what we were told then, it was a live electrical wire from the municipality that caused the smoke.”
Esona was run over by a car two days before she was electrocuted. “She was hit by a car in the street. We took her to the hospital and luckily she was okay. They sent us home and we were still talking to the KwaNonqaba police to determine if we should lay a charge against the driver when this happened.”
Nosisi says although they did have an illegal electrical connection running from their home to a caravan nearby, they believe that it was not because of the
illegal connection that Esona died. Investigation under way
The Mossel Bay Municipality noted in a statement that Esona’s death was likely the result of an illegal electrical connection.
The municipality removed the illegal connection when investigating after the electrocution and the area was made safe.
Municipal manager, Advocate Thys Giliomee, expressed his sincere condolences to the family. Municipal spokesperson Nickey le Roux says a preliminary investigation suggests the electrocution took place when an erf boundary fence on the corner of Adriaans and Sixaxeni Roads, Asla Park, became energised due to an illegal electrical connection.
The Alexander family went to the municipality on Wednesday, 21 April, to report the matter for further investigation.
The KwaNonqaba police are investigating the incident and an inquest docket has been opened. Le Roux says the municipality will give its full cooperation during the investigation.
Esona’s grandmother, Lina Kiewiets, says her granddaughter loved Peppa Pig.
Esona’s father, 24-year-old Sizwe Kiewiets says they are heartbroken.