A Joza family is mourning the death of a talented 17-year-old teenager, Vuyolwethu Manganya, who was drowned off a Port Alfred beach on New Year's Day.
A Joza family is mourning the death of a talented 17-year-old teenager, Vuyolwethu Manganya, who was drowned off a Port Alfred beach on New Year's Day.
Manganya and his teammates in the Sakhulutsha Youth Academy U17 soccer side had just returned from a successful tournament in Johannesburg and were in joyful spirits after winning one match and drawing two others.
The Nombulelo High School student was about to start Grade 12. Nobulali Dyongman, a family member, said the family got a call from the police informing them that Vuyolwethu had drowned.
"We got the call around 1 o'clock informing us that Vuyolwethu has drowned," Dyongman said. "I don't know what to do. I wish he didn’t go there to the beach, but we are thankful that his body was found because sometimes you would not find a person who has been drowned in the sea."
Voyulwethu had been a "very smart person" and was about to start Grade 12, Dyongman said. "He is my cousin’s child. He was with his soccer team and the others came back late last night." A person who was present when the incident happened said access to the sea was closed for some time after the drowning.
Vuyolwethu had been swimming with his teammates after returning from Johannesburg where they had participated in the Walter Sisulu U17 Discovery Tournament. After they had become tired and left the water, Vuyolwethu decided to go back in and swim alone, observers said.
When he got into difficulties, people who were swimming nearby tried to rescue him but failed. His soccer coach Siya Masinda told Grocott's Mail that the youth was "a very respectful player and child" who did not drink alcohol or smoke. "It was very hard for us as a team to break the news to his mother even though she accepted the matter,” he said.
"Every year in Port Alfred someone will drown. I assume it is because of the lack of lifeguards. Ndlambe municipality should solve this problem in order to save more lives in future.” At Nombulelo High School on Wednesday the mood was subdued as the matrics of 2016 arrived to collect their results, and heard of Vuyolwethu's death.
His Grade 11 class teacher, Bafana Jonas, said he had done very well in his Grade 11 exams. "I met Vuyolwethu in January 2015, Jonas said. "He was a nice guy, easy to talk to both inside and outside the school. "I still remember that he played truant once. I went straight to his home.
There was no problem – he apologised in front of his parents and came back to school. "From that point on, he worked really hard and as a result, he passed Grade 11 with flying colours." Jonas said Vuyolwethu's funeral would be at Noluthando Hall on Monday 11 January at 9am. He asked Nombulelo pupils to wear full school uniform.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Luvuyo Mjekula confirmed the drowning and said an inquest docket had been opened.
