Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha says he will be engaging the office of the Presidency and the Department of International Relations to initiate communication on how South Africa can work with Mozambique to curb the scourge of drownings at the Portuguese Islands.
Mathabatha was speaking to SABC News after the burial service of two Limpopo citizens who drowned at the island two weeks ago. They are part of a group of four South Africans who drowned while visiting Mozambique to celebrate a friend’s birthday.
The two others were laid to rest in in Mpumalanga and the Free State on Saturday. Mathabatha earlier told mourners that in the past ten years; more than 20 people including an MK operative – have been unaccounted for after drowning at the Portuguese Island.
“What I think needs to be done now is to escalate this matter to the presidency and our international relations department , I’m going to escalate it to them to say look we lost two young lives because of the same islands that so many people died at, can’t we escalate this matter to the Mozambican officials and try talk to them and see if there is no capacity on how can we assist as South Africa.”
