The Juskei River in which the body of a child was found.
Image: e Wisa.
As the search continued for three year old Everite Chauke, who was swept away by the flash floods into the Juskei river, it was confirmed by police that the body of a child had been found in the river on Tuesday in the Beccleuch area.
Police spokesperson, Nana Radebe said on Tuesday the body of a child had been found in Buccleuch, but they were not sure whose body it was. The police further confirmed that they will investigate on the matter of the unidentified body adding that they would call everyone who had lost members of their families to establish if they knew the body. This was confirmed by South African Police Service Lieutenant Kay Makhubele.
The news of the child that has been found in the river has caused a stir in the community of Alexandra Township, who, for the past few weeks, have lived in the hope that the child, Everite Chauke, would be found and brought together with her parents or at least her body would be found and returned to her parents, who will then be able to bury it properly and therefore achieve the much needed closure.
The name of Everite Chauke became a household name around Johannesburg after news came of her disappearance during the flash floods that engulfed the area of Alexandra last week. It was apparently reported that when the rains started, her father took her and climbed into a nearby tree to escape the raging floods. While they were in the tree, it broke and, in the ensuing melee, her father lost his grip on her and she slipped away. What followed afterwards was a marathon race against time to find her before she could meet her demise. With time, the hope that everyone had slowly ebbed away and was slowly replaced by a painful wish that her body be found to facilitate a proper and descent burial.
With the discovery of the body, there is revival of hope that the child can yet be granted a fitting and decent burial. The police have confirmed that investigations continue to establish the identity of the child.
