Young girl rescued from 12-metre disused borehole six days after being dumped inside by her father

A young girl was rescued from a disused borehole in Beitbridge East on Monday morning after spending six days trapped underground, reportedly without food or water. Police are investigating an allegation that her father threw her into the borehole.

The child, whose name is being withheld because she is a minor, was rescued in Tongwe Village, Ward 4, in Headman Foromela’s area. She was taken to Beitbridge District Hospital for treatment.

The girl reportedly landed on logs and branches that villagers had previously thrown into the borehole. The debris kept her from falling farther into the shaft, which was about 12 metres deep. A police source told The Herald that officers had yet to locate the girl’s parents after finding their home deserted.

“Investigations are ongoing as we follow leads to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the source said. Chief Tshitaudze confirmed the incident and urged residents to look out for one another. He encouraged families facing difficulties to seek help from traditional leaders.

“This is disturbing, and we are calling on all community members to be their neighbour’s keeper,” he said. “What happened to that child is worrying, and we hope the matter will be resolved soon. We await further police investigations into the matter. We don’t condone such behaviour by parents. Now the child is traumatised and fragile. In fact, the community is still shaken by this incident.”