The father of a young girl from Hamavhunga who went missing just over a year ago and two other suspects appeared in the Dzanani Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 29 August, in connection with the girl's disappearance. All three men stand accused of kidnapping.
On the morning of 5 August 2022, the then eight-year-old Rudzani Mahanelo left her home in Hamavhunga, Nzhelele, to go to the nearest spaza shop to ask for change, so that she could get some pocket money for school, but she never returned. When her mother, Ms Livhuwani Mahanelo, saw that her daughter was taking longer than usual to get change, she decided to take Rudzani's school bag and follow her because she feared her child would be late for school.
"I looked for her at the spaza shops and even on the way to her school, but I couldn't find her. I did find my other daughter, who was helping school children to cross the road, but she told me that all the schoolchildren had crossed the road, except for Rudzani. I looked everywhere for her. We searched from house to house, but there was no sign of her," she said.
Livhuwani said that the uncertainty of not knowing where her daughter was for over a year was very painful, and she had spent many sleepless nights. "In June this year, I received a message saying: 'The traitor that betrayed you also betrayed me. Your daughter was buried like a dog.' The message further said that someone from the Mavhunga RDP homestead must be burnt," said Livhuwani.
Rudzani's disappearance caused a lot of fear in the community of Nzhelele, and the question nobody wants to ask out loud is whether the girl is still alive or not.
Three people were arrested in connection with the kidnapping earlier this week, including the girl's father, Khathutshelo Maivha. Maivha's case was postponed to Wednesday, 30 August, for a formal bail application. His co-accused, Nemukula Naledzani, appeared on Tuesday (29th), and his case was also postponed to 30 August. A third suspect was arrested on 29 August but is yet to appear in court.
Commenting on the arrest of Rudzani's father, Livhuwani said she was hurt and disappointed that someone so close to her might also be involved in her child's disappearance.
The leader of the Vhembe Concerned Group, Mr Richard Mukhaninga, said he was happy that the police had finally made a breakthrough. "We are going to march from the Biaba CBD to the Dzanani Magistrate's Court to oppose bail for the accused when the suspects appear on Wednesday afternoon (30 August). They must also tell us what had happened to Rudzani," he said.