It was in 2019 when clinical psychologist Mpho Dephney Neluvhalani mysteriously disappeared without a trace. At the time, the 32-year-old from Ha Mphego outside Thohoyandou was working at a hospital in Brakpan, Gauteng.
After her disappearance, her distraught family searched everywhere but without success.
In 2021, a person claimed to have seen her with her boyfriend in the North West. But when her mother confronted the boyfriend, he denied being with Mpho.
Desperate, her mother, Ms Tshilidzi Neluvhalani, went public with appeals for help. A WhatsApp group with more than 600 members was formed, offering her both information and material support. She also hired a private investigator, but to no avail.
The breakthrough finally came six years later. On Wednesday, 24 September, Tshilidzi received the long-awaited call telling her that Mpho had been found in the North West. Overjoyed, she rushed to be reunited with her daughter.
In an interview with Limpopo Mirror, Tshilidzi expressed her deep gratitude: "When she went missing, I thought it would be for a few days and that she would return. However, hours turned into days, days into weeks, weeks into months and months into years. All this time I felt like a part of me was taken away. It seemed like I was in hell, not knowing where my beloved daughter was. When I received the call on Heritage Day, I felt like I was dreaming. We could not wait but rushed to the North West, where I was reunited with my beloved daughter."
She described the reunion as deeply emotional: "The situation I found her in was not good at all. We had to take her to the hospital where she is now recuperating. We are still waiting for her to heal before we can get a clear picture of what happened in the six years she had been missing. Our sincere gratitude goes to all who have been part of this strenuous journey."