Jozini – A distraught northern KwaZulu-Natal family is conducting a night vigil near the Jozini dam with the hope that SAPS divers would be able to retrieve a body of a relative who disappeared there on Saturday.
The Myeni family of Jozini under the Mkhanyakude District Municipality, has been camping there since then after their 32-year-old old family member, Siboniso Myeni drowned under mysterious circumstances.
On Wednesday morning (around 10am) IOL spotted about 40 members of the family, relatives and other community members camped near the dam.
This was while a team of SAPS divers were combing the dam with the hope of locating and retrieving the body of the man.
Myeni’s mother, Mavis Myeni told IOL on Wednesday that they were still camping by the dam waiting for SAPS scuba divers to retrieve the body.
Myeni said her son who was mentally challenged, drowned on Saturday after he escaped from the nearby Msiyeni community health centre, a few kilometres from the dam.
“My son was booked at the hospital for some medical attention and he then disappeared from there, that is what we heard from authorities.
NEWS: This family has been camping near the Jozini dam with hope that police will retrieve the body of their family member, Sibonelo Myeni who allegedly jumped into the dam on Saturday. Myeni was reportedly mentally disturbed and he escaped from Msiyane health centre. @IOL pic.twitter.com/18SoilA1Wh
“The hospital was not aware that he had escaped until an ambulance arrived to transport him to Obonjeni hospital.
“A frantic search ensued and his shoes were found near the dam. A child who saw him jump into the dam gave us the story of how he drowned,” Myeni told IOL.
According to Myeni, the SAPS divers told them that they have located the body of her son, but it was deep down and they were making means to retrieve it.
“They told us that the body has been spotted in the water, but it is 70 metres down and their diving capacity is up to 30 metres deep.
“Despite that, they told us they are making means to get deep down and retrieve it,” she said.
According to a local press, the KwaZulu-Natal department of health was investigating how Myeni escaped undetected and later drowned.
The SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal has opened an inquest docket regarding the matter.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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