Three Drown In Eswatini As Police Warn of Deadly Holiday Water Risks

By Bheki Dlamini

MBABANE – Police in Eswatini have launched two major search-and-recovery operations after a weekend of tragedy in which three people, including two young boys, drowned in fast-moving waters. The incidents, reported within an hour of each other on Friday, have renewed urgent warnings about safety around rivers and streams as the holiday season begins.

Mozambican man swept away at Nkomazi River

In the first incident, a 32-year-old man from Boane, Mozambique, disappeared beneath the Nkomazi River shortly after 1pm on Friday. According to police, the man had been doing laundry with friends along the riverbank when a simple mishap turned deadly.

“He attempted to go deeper into the river to fetch water with his container. Unfortunately, the water swept the container away. As he tried to retrieve it, he was overwhelmed by the water pressure,” the police said.

Friends raised the alarm immediately, but by the time officers arrived, the current had already carried him downstream. The Royal Eswatini Police Service’s scuba team searched until nightfall, combing the river in poor visibility and battling strong flow. With darkness setting in, the search was suspended.

The operation resumed at first light on Saturday, with police divers joined by the Fire Department, working their way methodically along the Nkomazi River. By late afternoon, the man had still not been found.

Two boys drowned in sudden surge at Emadvwaleni stream

Barely an hour before the Nkomazi drowning, two boys aged 14 and 7 died in a separate tragedy at Emadvwaleni stream in Mankayane. Police said the boys had been swimming when a sudden surge of water swept them away.

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“Information gathered is that the boys were swimming in the stream. Unfortunately, they were swept away due to a sudden heavy current,” the police statement reads.

The force of the water pushed the children a considerable distance from the spot where they were last seen. Their bodies were later found near a waterfall downstream. Community members who had joined the frantic search broke down as the boys were recovered, a heartbreaking end to what should have been an ordinary afternoon of play.

The Royal Eswatini Police Service has urged parents, guardians and communities to treat rivers and streams with extreme caution, stressing that even shallow or familiar water bodies can turn deadly.

“Rivers, streams and other water bodies can pose serious risks to children and adults. Never allow children to approach or swim in water bodies alone. Water accidents can happen in a split second,” police said.

The warning comes as Eswatini moves into the festive season, a period when families visit rivers to cool down and children spend long hours outdoors. Police say they will increase patrols in high-risk areas but emphasise that vigilance at home is just as important.

Authorities have encouraged families to speak openly with children about water safety, supervise them closely near water, and avoid swimming in rivers with unpredictable currents, especially after rainfall.

Meanwhile, search teams remain on the ground at Nkomazi as recovery efforts continue.