The issuing of a R100,000 reward earlier this week for information to help find missing Fiona Matodzi has sparked renewed optimism among her family that she will be found.
Fiona disappeared in August 2022 while walking home from school in Itsani Village, under the Thohoyandou policing area. She was nine years old at the time and was, according to fellow learners, last seen getting into a black Volkswagen Polo without registration plates. Her school bag, books and clothing were later found in bushes not far from where she disappeared.
In an interview with Limpopo Mirror, Fiona’s mother, Ms Tshilidzi Mufunwaini, said that although the reward may have come late, it had reignited hope that her daughter would finally be found.
“I just feel like it is a dream. I could not believe it when police broke the news to me that money has been approved for the reward,” she said, adding that she believes her daughter will return.
“As a mother, I never lost hope that one day my daughter would come back. The reward is like a new dawn to me, and I am confident information will soon come out,” she said.
Fiona’s mother acknowledged the role played by community activist Mr Hulisani Mani of the Economic Liberators Forum of South Africa (ELFSA), who has led ongoing efforts to pressure police to intensify the investigation. “He has been at the forefront of marches demanding that police speed up the investigations. His efforts were not in vain,” she said.
Mani said the reward was a breakthrough moment for the community, which has long been calling for stronger action.
“We marched on several occasions and held meetings with police. One thing we stressed was the reward money,” he said. The granting of the reward, he added, would now make a difference.
Provincial police commissioner Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe has since urged members of the public to come forward with any information.
“Someone out there knows something, and that information could be critical in reuniting Fiona with her family and ensuring that justice is served,” she said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Col Lesiba Somo of the Provincial Missing Persons Unit on 082 565 8238, the Crime Stop number 08600 10111, or report to their nearest police station.
All information will be treated with strict confidentiality.