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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
CHILDREN, adolescents and the old go missing almost every day in Bulawayo and some of them are found alive while others have gone for more than a year unaccounted for.
A total of 450 people have been reported missing from last year and more than 300 have since been found leaving a balance of about 130 people yet to be accounted for.
Using these figures, it means nearly 40 people go missing every month which is a cause for concern.
Those found include accident victims whose bodies are only identified at the morgues months after the accidents, individuals who would have wandered to some unknown places and young girls who would have eloped.
Investigations by Chronicle revealed that in most cases missing girls would have eloped with boyfriends while most of the missing boys would have joined the streets. There were also hints that some missing boys are staying with “sugar mamas” in the city.
Police in Bulawayo say out of the 450, five were found dead.
“From June last year to this month, 450 people have been reported missing in the city. Out of the number, 311 were located alive by the police with the help of their relatives. Five died in road accidents and their bodies remained unclaimed at the mortuaries for several months,” said Bulawayo provincial spokesman Inspector Abednico Ncube.
He said 134 people are still outstanding and investigations were continuing.
“We suspect some from the missing persons could have left the country for neighbouring South Africa Namibia or Botswana,” said Insp Ncube.
Some of the missing persons are teenagers who in the most extreme cases would have committed suicide like what happened last year, when a 17-year-old Nkulumane suburb boy was found hanging from the roof of his father’s bedroom after he had gone missing for four days.
The late Kholo Jamela was reportedly under investigation after allegedly defrauding some members of the public.
The family was left in shock after searching for Kholo everywhere, only to find his body hanging from the roof.
In a recent case, in Mabuthweni high density suburb, 13-year-old Sibusiso Chiruwo disappeared two months ago along with her friend from Pelandaba.
The unidentified friend, according to the councillor of the area, Frank Javangwe, has been found.
“She had a friend from Pelandaba who she had disappeared with and only her friend was found. It isn’t clear where she left Sibusiso,” said Clr Javangwe.
He said the lockdown had greatly affected children.
“Their behaviour has become wayward as they stayed home for a long time without going to school. There were some wrong things that they were being taught and exposed to during the lockdown and it’s now manifesting following the opening of schools,” said Clr Javangwe.
Mr Eusoph Gomera of Old Luveve in Bulawayo is a worried parent as his 15-year-old daughter Kimberly went missing last year.
“It’s very troubling for me as a father and parent as my daughter has gone missing for close to a year. We have reported her missing to the police. We just heard rumours that she is in Chegutu or Kadoma. So, I really don’t know what to do,” said Mr Gomera.
In Makokoba 36-year-old Tawanda Chirodza is also missing and he was last seen more than two months ago.
In the same area 18-year-old Edmore Mpofu of Mpilo Quarters has also been missing since May 1, 2020.
Another missing person reported is Mr Freedom Nleya who was last seen on September 3 this year at around 6.30PM, leaving his home in Pumula South.
Police say they are still searching for Mr Mleya while his family preferred not to comment and said they will only do so after finding him.
Last year, a 16-year-old, Prince Sibanda went missing in Sunninghill suburb after he was last seen on October 3.
What was bizarre about his disappearance was that Prince ran ahead of his mother Ms Sinothando Ncube up the slope of a road and when his mother got to the top, there was no sign of him.
Ms Ncube reported the matter to the police and a search was conducted but they could not find him.
She said on November 18, last year, an unidentified man brought Prince in the dead of the night to their home in Lock View.
“He was brought back home at around 1AM by a man who said he found him in the streets and when we asked him, Prince said he was at work. We then tried to find out where exactly he was employed but failed,” said Ms Ncube.
She said the man who brought Prince left early the following morning and they have never seen him again.
Ms Ncube said Prince told her that on the day he disappeared he hid from her when he got down the slope.
“When I asked him what happened on that day, he said when he got over the slope of the road, he hid in the bushes and watched us pass by. He said he walked towards Bob’s Garage and walked to the city centre,” said Ms Ncube.
She said they later established that he was living on the streets around the Railways area.
Ms Ncube said Prince has since gone back to school and everything was back to normal.
It is not only young people who go missing, also adults such as Linda Mahachi (38) of New Luveve, who reportedly eloped according to her aunt Ms Loveness Karimatsenga.
“As parents, it worries us that even at her age she disappeared just like that. We heard that she was in Kadoma or wherever, with a boyfriend by the name Xo. I hope she comes to her senses and returns home,” said Ms Karimatsenga.
Another concerned person is Mr Themba Ndlovu whose friend and neighbour Mr Vine Ndlovu is missing since January.
“I have searched high and low for my childhood friend and nothing has come up. He was staying alone next door my house in Old Luveve and he just woke up and left one day. We have heard rumours about his whereabouts but nothing concrete yet,” said Mr Ndlovu.
Police said the challenge they are facing is that some of the missing persons like Mr Ndlovu have no recent pictures.
“What we are urging as police is that relatives must have recent pictures of their loved one. What helps us as police when we are searching and carrying our investigations is to attach a recent photo of the missing person,” said Inspector Ncube. — Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi
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