Members of the Rathidili family from Tshikhwani village, in the Sinthumule area, were devastated when the body of their missing son was found floating in a dam at Louis Trichardt's sewerage plant on Tuesday (4th).
On Saturday, 25 March, the 24-year-old Mashudu Rathidili went to Louis Trichardt but never returned home. After reporting him as missing, the family members, with the help of other community members, began a frantic search of their own. They searched the area where he was last spotted, in vain. When his body was eventually found floating in the sewerage plant, it had already decomposed substantially.
Mashudu's father, Mr Moses Rathidili, said the circumstances around his son's death were strange and left many unanswered questions. "We are so shocked, because we have been searching everywhere; even in the spot where we found his body, not knowing that he was rotting in there. We are convinced that he was murdered elsewhere, and his body later dumped in the sewage to conceal the evidence. But we cannot say for certain. What we do know for sure, is that he is dead, and only the police are able to help solve this puzzle," he said.
The local traditional leader, Vhamusanda Vho-Mbulaheni Ramabulana, said after he had been notified of Mashudu's disappearance, everyone had helped the family to look for him. "As community leaders, we are very saddened as we had hoped he would be found alive. Instead, this has happened. Yet, we can only commend the community for remaining calm and not being led by their emotions. The body has been found, and we will hear from the experts as to what could have caused his death," he said.
Makhado police spokesperson Sgt Irene Radzilani confirmed the discovery of Mashudu's decomposed body at the sewerage plant. "We have opened an inquest docket, and the results of the inquest will direct us on what to do. If there had been any foul play involved, we will take it from there," she said.