Education Minister Blake Nzimande has urged police to “swiftly” investigate the circumstances which led to the drowning of two students at a hotel near Hartbeespoort.

Nzimande passed his condolences to the families of the two students of the Orbit TVET College, Madgeline Manyama (19), an Electrical Infrastructure and Construction student, and KG Melamu (21), an Office Administration student.

The two students drowned between 20:00 and 21:00 in the pool at the hotel in Broederstroom. “The pair were part of a group of 23 students from Mogwase Orbit Leadership College that attended a field training programme with Orbit College in Rustenburg. They allegedly left the bar area at about 20:00 and went to the swimming pool. A security guard discovered both victims’ lifeless bodies at about 21:00 in the swimming pool,” police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said.

The minister said the college management undertook to give its full support and co-operation to the investigators to determine the exact cause of this incident.

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He has also directed Higher Health to give the necessary support and comfort to fellow students, the families and the college staff who have been affected by this unfortunate incident.