Limpopo – Police in Limpopo’s Hlanganani policing area have opened an inquest into the death of a six-year-old girl whose body was found in a pit toilet in Nkuzana village, a tragedy that has shocked the local community and reignited concerns over children’s safety around rudimentary sanitation facilities.
According to Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the child had been playing outside her family’s yard with other children on Friday, 2 January 2026, when she suddenly went missing.
Her mother soon noticed her absence and raised the alarm, prompting an immediate search by community members and police.
“Moments later, her mother noticed that the daughter had disappeared, and a massive search was immediately launched until she was discovered inside a toilet pit,” the South African Police Service said in a brief statement issued during the ongoing investigation.
#sapsLIM The South African Police Service in Hlanganani under Mopani District has registered an inquest docket following an untimely death of a six-year-old girl who was found floating in a pit toilet at Wisani Section, Nkuzana village on Friday 02 January 2026. NP… pic.twitter.com/BtV8NzsamN
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) January 4, 2026
The child was retrieved from the pit and rushed to a nearby medical facility, where she was certified dead on arrival, police confirmed.
Acting Provincial Commissioner Major General Jan Scheepers has urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant, particularly in areas where pit toilets and other unsafe sanitation structures are still widely used.
“Families must always be aware of where their children are playing to prevent similar tragic incidents,” Scheepers said.
The incident has also renewed broader concerns about the continued presence of pit toilets in rural South African communities, where outdated sanitation infrastructure poses serious risks, especially to young children.
Previous incidents have highlighted the dangers of such facilities. In 2024, a three-year-old boy died after falling into a pit toilet at his preschool in the Eastern Cape, sparking outrage and calls from human rights organisations for accountability and the urgent replacement of unsafe sanitation systems.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
