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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
“I feel helpless, devastated and distraught because my son has been missing for the past two-and-a-half weeks.”
These were the words of Mrs Thobelike Mbiriri from Bulawayo’s Pumula East suburb, whose son Promise Ncube (11) went missing two weeks ago.
Police in Bulawayo said Promise went missing on October 17, 2022. He left home to collect sticks to build an abacus for his Continuous Assessment Learning Activity (CALA) assignment and has not returned ever since.
Promise, a Grade Six pupil at Babambeni Primary School in Pumula North, was last seen wearing khaki shorts and a red t-shirt.
It has been two agonising weeks for Mrs Mbiriri, who said she feels pained at being powerless to find her child.
“It’s hard to describe how I feel. If one is a parent, they should imagine that they can’t find their child for two weeks and there are no leads or anything. I’m distraught, devastated and I feel helpless because my son has been missing for the past two-and-a-half weeks,” said Mrs Mbiriri, who added she is having sleepless nights.
She said she recalls vividly the exact time Promise left the house to look for sticks to use for a school project.
“I still remember the time he left. It was 4.06 PM Monday two weeks ago. He said he wanted to collect sticks just across the road to make an abacus for his CALA project. After about 30 minutes of his not returning, I went out to look for him. I know my son, he doesn’t delay when doing things, so his delay in returning was suspicious,” said Mrs Mbiriri.
She appealed to the public to help find her son.
“I appeal to people to please help me find my son. I miss him and I pray every night that he returns because I’m so hurt by his disappearance. Something isn’t right about it. People can contact me on 0777 325 906 or the police if they happen to see him or whoever is with him or have any information about Prince,” said Mrs Mbiriri.
Bulawayo provincial police deputy spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said investigations are still ongoing.
She castigated those circulating false information.
“Police are still looking for Prince and we ask the members of the public for their assistance in locating him. Also, we are concerned that there are people circulating messages that he has been found dead. This is wrong and those doing so must stop it as it causes untold suffering to his family,” said Asst Insp Msebele.
She said if the public has information on the whereabouts of Prince, people can contact ZRP Pumula on 029 422 907 or the investigating officer Assistant Inspector Sibanda on 0712 598 992.
Last year, police said as of 2020, 450 people had been reported missing and more than 300 were 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.
Those found include accident victims whose bodies are only identified at the morgues months after the calamities, individuals who would have wandered to some unknown places and young girls who would have eloped.
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