Thinandavha Mudau of Tshivhulani Village, near Sibasa, was an energetic man who worked hard to support his family. He worked for the Department of Health and Welfare in the refuse removal section with zeal to improve the standard of life in his family.

When he got his monthly salary on 15 November 1998, he paid all his debts, bought food for the family and gave all his remaining cash, ID and bankbook to his family. That was the last time they saw him!

“I never suspected anything when my father left. He just went out as usual and never told anyone where he was going. We thought he was under the influence of alcohol when he said ni khou mmbona lwau fhedza (you are seeing me for the last time). If he is dead, we would like to know where he is buried, but if he is still alive, we want him to come back home, because we love him. We searched for him everywhere we could think of, but we could not find him,” said the sobbing Mulalo Mudau (23), daughter of the missing man.

Mulalo says her father had two wives and he had just had some differences with one of the wives the day before he disappeared. “I think it would be better to solve the problem peacefully than leaving us with no one to look to for protection. My father was a caring man who loved his six children with all his heart. His employers have also given up hope because he just vanished without handing in a resignation letter…”

Mulalo said it became more serious when Thinandavha could not be traced during the burial of his late father, Alpheus, in 2000. “When we buried his father in his absence, we realized that the matter was becoming more serious. How could he disappear when we need him most for his protection? We have been traveling around the country for the past seven years, but we couldn’t find him…”

Mulalo added that the family opened a case with the police seven years ago, but there has never been a breakthrough since. Insp Nkanukeni Raedani said it is true that the Mudau family had opened a missing person’s file at Thohoyandou SAPS and added that the police were doing everything to investigate the matter. “We have been working on this case for quite a long time and we humbly request community members to assist us in the investigations,” said Raedani.