Emotions were still running high yesterday in Dlamini, Soweto as a multi-disciplinary task rescue team continued its search for six-year-old Khayalethu Magadla, who fell into a manhole last Sunday.
Magadla fell into the uncovered manhole while playing with three friends at the neighbourhood park in Dlamini.
Speaking to Sunday World outside Magadla’s home, family spokesperson Veli Mthethwa said the parents of the boy are devastated and struggling to cope with the fact that their son is not home with them.
“Khaya is the first born of the Magadlas and the parents are traumatised … [but] are still hoping he will be found alive,” Mthethwa said.
He said the family and community of Dlamini are not in a good space as they have been complaining about the open manholes in the area for more than two years.
Neighbour Derrick Mngomezulu recalled the events of last Sunday, when the family raised the alarm that their son had not returned home from the park.
“Upon hearing the news, the community went out on a search, while the other group went to Moroka police station to seek help from the police,” he said.
Mngomezulu said the police were not helpful, so the community decided to search for the boy themselves.
Community leader Zakhele Khumalo said they had asked Magadla’s friends to tell them what happened, but the children did not provide any answers.
“However, one of Khaya’s friends narrated the incident on Monday at school that Khaya fell into a manhole while they were playing. This triggered us to search some more. We were joined by the Joburg EMS (Emergency Management Services) on Monday,” Khumalo said.
Speaking at the site where Magadla is believed to have been swallowed by the manhole, City of Joburg EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said they are working around the clock to find Magadla.
“We are using a highly advanced boat-like robot that is installed with a camera to see everything from the manhole,” Mulaudzi said.
“Our divers are also in the sewer pipe to continue with the search and rescue of the boy. We have a team of about 50 rescue personnel on site working around the clock. We also have a Joburg Water team at the Olifantsvlei Water treatment plant to unblock the last of the manholes of the Soweto sewer system,” said Mulaudzi.
Sunday World visited Olifantsvlei treatment plant in Lenasia, where the team from Joburg Water was hard at work draining the three remaining manholes leading to the treatment plant.
Since the start of the search, the Joburg Water team has retrieved carcasses of a sheep and a goat, but there is still no sign of the missing boy.
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