The family of the 16-year-old Ntshovelo Baloyi from Mabobo, Elim, is still grappling with the haunting mystery surrounding her unexplained disappearance two months ago. Ntshovelo, who comes from a child-headed family, vanished without a trace during a sports event at her school late in March this year.
The young girl, who lives under the care of her aunt, set out in the morning for school and has not been seen since. The family's desperate search efforts began as they scoured every corner, even reaching out to nearby villages such as Mpheni and Hamakhakhi, but their quest for answers has yielded no results.
Now, more than six months have passed since her disappearance. Her older brother, Kulani Xihlomulo, has felt his concerns deepen over this time. "I'm losing hope and I can't help but wonder where she is, and if she's still alive or not. I would be happy if she could come back and continue her schooling," he said with a heavy heart.
Elvis Maswanganyi, a ward committee member from Elim, said that a group of community members made another effort to look for her once again two months ago. "Day and night, for two days, we searched, but our efforts were in vain. There were rumours that she had been seen at a certain garage on the night of her disappearance, which prompted us to try and track her several times, but nothing. We are deeply concerned about her and plead with the community to continue to assist us in our search," he said.
The spokesperson for the Waterval police, Warrant Officer Foster Rambau, confirmed that they are investigating a missing person's case, following the disappearance of Ntshovelo Baloyi. "Those with information are urged to call the Crime Stop number at 0860 010 111, or the nearest police station," he said.