Thohoyandou - Limpopo police are still searching for the body of 12-year-old Mpho Mugwena, who was killed by a crocodile.
A crocodile caught Mugwena while he was swimming in the Mutshindudi Rriver in Tshivhilwi village outside Thohoyandou on Saturday afternoon.
“The boy went to fetch water in the river with two friends of the same age and, as it was hot, they got into the river for a swim where the crocodile caught him,” said Limpopo police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mohale Ramatseba.
Mugwena's friends raised the alarm and police divers were immediately dispatched to the scene.
“When police divers assessed the situation it was found to be too dangerous for them because of the presence of crocodiles,” he said.
Responding to criticism that police were taking too long to retrieve the boy's body, Ramatseba said: “The police are always prepared to risk their lives in threatening rescue operations, but some situations like crocodile-infested rivers make it impossible for (us to act)."
He also said police divers were using a boat to scour the river for Mugwena's body.
In the interim, he warned villagers not to fetch water, swim, or play in rivers where crocodiles are present.
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