By Staff Reporter
BURGERSDORP – The family of a teenage boy who drowned at Mineview near Burgersdorp has released his identity as Kutullo Masiye (14).
Kutullo’s body was recovered following a drowning incident at Mine View, within the Maake SAPSpolicing area, on Wednesday, 04 February 2026, at approximately 15:00.
According to reports, the Pherehla High School learner was swimming with friends in a water-filled excavation when he drowned. The excavation is alleged to have been dug by illegal miners and later filled with rainwater.
A search and rescue operation was activated on the same day and continued into Thursday, 05 February 2026. The body was recovered by the SAPS Search and Rescue Team, including the SAPS Water Wing Unit, with assistance from Politsi K9. Divers retrieved the body at an estimated depth of about five metres.
Police have since opened an inquest docket to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, conveyed her condolences to the bereaved family. She also urged communities, parents, and guardians to discourage children from swimming in unauthorised water bodies, including abandoned or illegal mining excavations.
“These areas are extremely dangerous and pose a serious risk to life,” said Lieutenant General Hadebe.
