12-year-old boy drowns in water-filled excavation in Lufhereng, Soweto

A 12-year-old boy drowned at an excavated site that had filled with water in Lufhereng (also referred to as Lefhureng), Soweto, on Sunday, 23 August 2026.

The incident occurred at the corner of Umvumvu and Red Ivory Streets. A burst water pipe caused the excavation — described in reports as a construction trench or site — to fill with approximately 1.4 metres of water.

Gauteng Water Police, working with Johannesburg Water Policing and Diving Services, responded after receiving reports of the drowning. Divers were deployed and recovered the child’s body from the water.

The body was handed over to Protea SAPS. Officers have opened an inquest docket and are continuing investigations. The full circumstances surrounding the incident have not been confirmed publicly, and the boy’s name has not been released.

Police have appealed to anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could assist the investigation to contact their nearest police station or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

Authorities have issued safety warnings in connection with the case. Parents, guardians and community members are urged to keep children away from open excavations, construction sites, flooded areas, dams, rivers and other bodies of water, especially where depth and conditions are unknown or unsupervised. Open excavations and unattended sites can become hazardous when they fill with water.

The recovery of the body and the opening of the inquest mark the formal start of the investigation into the death. Further details on the cause of the burst pipe or the specific construction activity at the site have not been released in available reports.

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Four unidentified bodies found burnt near N7 in Dunoon as police open murder investigation

Western Cape police are investigating the murders of four people after their charred remains were discovered in an open field in Dunoon on Sunday afternoon, 23 August 2026.

Milnerton SAPS officers responded to the scene near the N7 off-ramp on Malibongwe Drive. The bodies were found metres apart in an open field adjacent to the road. According to police, the remains had been burnt beyond recognition.

Crime scene observations indicated that tyres had been used to set the victims alight. The identities of the deceased have not been established.

A murder docket has been opened. Detectives from the Serious Violent Crime Unit are investigating the circumstances of the incident. Western Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg stated that the circumstances surrounding the crime remain unclear and the motive has yet to be determined.

In a statement, the South African Police Service confirmed that Milnerton police were called out to the location where the burnt remains were located. The SAPS noted that determinations based on the crime scene established the use of tyres to set the victims alight. The provincial police service has appealed for public assistance in identifying the victims and providing any information that could assist the investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or submit details anonymously via the MySAPS application.

No arrests have been reported, and police have not released further details on the sequence of events leading to the discovery or any potential links to other incidents in the area. The investigation continues.