adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
HUMAN remains suspected to be of a woman from Bulilima District who disappeared 10 years ago aged 80 years have been discovered. Nkazana Mpala of Manguba area disappeared in 2005 while collecting mopane worms with other villagers and remains suspected to be hers were discovered at the weekend. The woman’s nephew who is also a traditional leader, Headman Manguba said the remains were seen by a villager who was herding cattle.
He said they were discovered close to where the woman was last seen and police had collected them for tests.
Headman Manguba said the family is yet to receive confirmation from the authorities if indeed they are those of their relative.
“I received news on Saturday morning about human remains that were discovered in a bushy area at Maitengwe concession which is within my area of jurisdiction. The human skeleton was in a stream in thick bush,” said Headman Manguba.
“We tried to search around for clothes that could help us identify the person but we failed to retrieve any. After looking at the skull we managed to identify the person as my missing aunt by the features of the teeth.”
He said following her disappearance villagers and other relatives tried to locate the old woman, to no avail.
Headman Manguba said villagers who were in the company of Mpala as they collected mopane worms 10 years back said she wandered from the group and was never seen again.
“Ten years ago my aunt left with other villagers for Maitengwe concession area in a truck and she didn’t return with them. They told us that she disappeared into the bushes and they tried to locate her and called out her name but all was in vain,” he said.
“A search party was deployed and we looked for her for three weeks. Our search was difficult because on the morning that she disappeared we received heavy rains which completely wiped out her footprints.”
He said they had concluded that the old woman had strayed from her fellow villagers and then failed to find her way back home.
Headman Manguba said relatives and villagers were gathered at the Mpala homestead waiting for the old woman’s children who are in South Africa.
He said the family would be at ease after receiving a confirmation that the human remains belonged to the old woman.
“We’re not 100 percent sure because all we saw were bones. The skull was still intact as the teeth are still in place and that’s the only evidence we have. If we get confirmation that it’s her then we will be relieved. There is nothing terrible like living on without knowing the whereabouts of a relative,” said Headman Manguba.
He said a number of people had previously disappeared in the Maitengwe concession area as it was a bushy area.
He said in some cases no bodies were found.
Online Reporter