Durban — The Makhaye family say they are still worried about their sister who was swept away in a river in the Lay Ecumenical Centre area in Pietermaritzburg after Christmas when she went to cleanse 20 people.
Sandile Makhaye, the brother of Nonhlanhla Zinhle Makhaye, who is a sangoma, said his sister had woken up in the morning on December 26 to “go and cleanse her clients”, but was swept away.
“Before you enter water you have to pray over it first and then start with the cleansing. As she got into the water praying, she slipped and fell, and at that time the water came gushing as it was raining the previous day, on Christmas,” explained Makhaye.
He said his sister’s clients tried to save her but were unable to.
“Others drove down by the Ashdown Bridge to see if she would be visible, but they did not find her. We notified the police,” he said.
Makhaye added that they were sad as a family that she has not been found and that they are hoping to find her remains so they could bury her.
He said what was more painful was that her two children, aged 12 and 2, would be orphans.
“Their father was gunned down last year in November, now their mother is swept by the river and it is not promising,” said Makhaye.
He added that the police had been communicating with the family. He said on Tuesday they were promised that the search would continue as the weather might be clear.
“Yesterday (Monday) we were called to come and identify a body, unfortunately, it was not my sister,” he said.
The department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) said the search-and-rescue teams on Monday discovered the bodies of two people in a car that was swept away by the Msunduzi River. The search for another person who was in the car continues.
Cogta KZN spokesperson Nonala Ndlovu said the death toll for New Year’s Eve stood at three. In addition, in Mandeni a seven-year-old drowned.
“In Mandeni, a brief but intense rainstorm lasting about 15 minutes led to devastation to homes and infrastructure. Our response teams have confirmed the tragic loss of a boy, 7, who drowned and his body was subsequently recovered by the search and rescue team. Additionally, numerous houses and road infrastructure sustained damage,” said Ndlovu.
Cogta MEC Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi extended her condolences to the families for their loss.
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