The case of missing Itsani learner Fiona Matodzi resurfaced on Monday when angry Vhembe community members marched to the Thohoyandou Police Station to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
Fiona, then aged nine, was abducted on 11 August 2022 while walking home from Dzindi Primary School. A black Polo with no registration plates reportedly stopped next to her before she was taken. The case remains unsolved.
On Monday (21 April), hundreds of residents, led by the Economic Liberators Forum of South Africa (ELFSA), marched from the Thohoyandou CBD to the station. Singing struggle songs and waving placards, the group demanded justice and action from the police.
Their memorandum called for the case to be reassigned to an experienced detective and for the establishment of a special task team to deal with similar cases in the Vhembe region, which they say has become a hotspot for such incidents.
Mr Hulisani Mani, president of ELFSA and one of the march organisers, expressed frustration over the lack of progress.
"Remember, the incident happened in August 2022 and, almost three years later, there is no progress. We are not surprised — Fiona is from a poor family. If it were someone from a well-off family, she would have been found a long time ago. Police officials have not done enough to trace the little Fiona. We are here to make a statement and put pressure on the police. We are not happy with how the case is being handled.
In September 2023, investigators found some of Fiona's belongings — including her school bag and uniform — in bushes at Tshivhuyuni in Shayandima. She remains missing.