The mother of six-year-old Washu Tshihume, who disappeared from his grandparents' homestead at Lamvi village on Christmas Eve, says her heart is breaking when she thinks of her missing little boy.
Washu's father died when his mother was only four months pregnant with him. He lives with his maternal grandparents, but on holidays he would visit his paternal grandparents as he was doing at the time of his disappearance. According to his grandfather, he was playing outside with other kids that morning when he mysteriously vanished. The police have made no break-through yet as to what could have happened to Washu, and he remains missing.
The child's mother, Murendeni Manyatshe (25), says ever since her son disappeared, she has trouble sleeping at night and she has lost her appetite for food. What pains her the most, she says, is the attitude of the local Ha-Makuya police.
"My son disappeared the Saturday, and I was told the following day. Together with other members of the community of Ha-Makuya, we went to Lamvi to look for my son. We saw a child's footprint next to a certain house and put a basin over the footprint so the police could come with their dogs and investigate. I personally ran to the police station, but they were not bothered to come and look at the footprint and investigate immediately. The K-9 unit from Polokwane at least came with their search team on the Monday. I have completely lost confidence in the local police," she said.
What she wants more than anything at this point is to see the case docket. "My child's grandfather has told me different versions of how Washu disappeared. I really need to see that docket. I am dying inside. Please, just let me see the docket," Manyatshe pleaded.
One of the community leaders in the area, Mr Phumudzo Mukhwathi, said they were very happy with the cooperation they were receiving from the Limpopo Provincial Police Commissioner Lt General Thandi Hadebe. "She has also promised to bring more resources and a specialised unit to deal with cases of missing people and children in the Vhembe District," he said.
Mukhwathi said that, as community leaders, they would do what they could for Manyatshe to see the docket. "We know about the standard of policing at Ha-Makuya police station; it is very poor. That is why we asked the Provincial Police Commissioner to transfer the case to Polokwane. She will definitely see the docket," he said.