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The small community of Duduza in Ekurhuleni has been left shattered after two young siblings, Siyabonga and Keletso Qulu, drowned in a nearby dam over the weekend — a tragedy that residents say could have been prevented.
The siblings, aged six and five, were playing near the dam in the Emawageni informal settlement on Thursday, 2 October, when a moment of innocent curiosity turned deadly. Drawn to a makeshift boat floating on the still water, they climbed aboard, unaware that the vessel — cobbled together from wood and plastic — was barely stable enough to hold their weight.
Moments later, the boat capsized.
Their friend, who had accompanied them to the dam, ran to raise the alarm. But by the time help arrived, both children had already vanished beneath the surface. Their older brother, Ayola, was among the first to respond. He rushed to the dam and dove in, desperately searching for them.
“I tried to pump the water out of their chests,” he recalled, voice breaking. “They were taken to Lucky Mkhwanazi Clinic in Zamane, Duduza. Nurses tried everything, but they were declared dead.”
It was Ayola himself who pulled their lifeless bodies from the water — a moment he says will haunt him forever.
Their mother, Philiswa Qulu, received the call while at work in Nigel. What began as an ordinary day ended in unimaginable grief. “I just can’t believe they’re gone,” she said softly. “They did everything together — even now, they left together.”
The news of the children’s deaths spread quickly across the community, drawing hundreds of mourners to the Qulu family’s modest home. Residents spoke in hushed tones, their disbelief mingling with anger and sorrow. For years, locals had raised concerns about the dam — a shallow, unfenced water body surrounded by overgrown grass, litter, and loose debris.
Community leader, Themba Ndlovu, said the tragedy was long overdue. “We’ve been warning about that dam for years,” he said. “It’s not the first time children have been seen playing there. But nobody listened. Now two innocent lives are gone.”
In the days that followed, grief turned into action. On Monday, residents returned to the dam and set fire to the boat — a symbolic act of anger and mourning. Flames consumed what many viewed as a deadly lure, a silent danger that had robbed a mother of her children.
Ekurhuleni police have since opened an inquest docket. District spokesperson Captain Nelda Sekgobela confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the drowning. “At this stage, we can confirm that two minors drowned in the Emawageni area,” she said. “We are conducting a full inquiry to ensure all aspects are properly examined.”
Authorities are also facing growing pressure to take concrete action. Residents have called for safety barriers, fencing, or at the very least, warning signs to be erected around the dam. “That water is a trap,” said one parent. “It looks calm, but once a child slips in, there’s no coming out. We can’t just keep losing children.”
The dam, located about two kilometres from the Qulu home, has long been a play area for local kids. Its shallow edges and floating debris make it seem harmless from a distance. Yet, community members say it’s deceptively deep in the middle, with thick mud beneath the surface that easily traps anyone who falls in.
Local councillor Nomsa Dlamini said the incident highlighted the urgent need for municipal intervention. “This is not just about one family,” she said. “We need proper fencing, signage, and community education. Every open water source in our communities poses a risk — and every tragedy like this one is preventable.”
As the investigation continues, residents are left to mourn two young lives lost too soon. On Tuesday evening, candles flickered across the settlement as neighbours gathered for a vigil. The sound of weeping filled the night air.
Siyabonga was remembered as an energetic, curious boy who loved playing soccer. Keletso, his younger sister, was described as shy but cheerful, often following her brother everywhere he went. “They were inseparable,” said a neighbour. “If you saw one, you’d see the other.”
At the family’s small shack, a pair of tiny shoes sit by the doorway, untouched since Thursday. Their mother, still in shock, says she cannot bring herself to move them. “It feels like if I move them, I’m saying goodbye,” she whispered.
Community social workers have since been dispatched to provide counselling to the family and to children who witnessed the aftermath. The City of Ekurhuleni’s disaster management officials have also visited the site to assess safety risks and consider possible interventions.
Despite these responses, anger remains. Many residents say it should not take the deaths of children for authorities to act. “We talk, they promise, and then they forget,” said one elder. “But children don’t forget danger — they find it. That’s why we need protection, not sympathy.”
As dusk falls over Duduza, the dam lies quiet again. The surface reflects the orange glow of the setting sun, calm and deceptive as ever. The boat that once floated there is gone — burned to ashes by a grieving community.
But the memory of Siyabonga and Keletso lingers, etched into the hearts of those who knew them and those who didn’t. Their deaths have become more than just a tragedy; they are a stark reminder of how fragile childhood is in communities where danger hides in plain sight.
And for their mother, the silence that now fills her home speaks louder than any words could — a silence that will echo long after the water stills and the world moves on.
