Desperate search for man spans 16 years

These are the words of Elias Msiza, who is in search of his father, who he last saw in 1999.

It’s been 16 years since Somathe Piet Msiza went missing.

He was last seen in Emaphupheni, Daveyton.

A case of a missing person was opened at Etwatwa Police Station.

“I’ve been at the station several times in the last five years, but I was told that they can’t find the file anymore,” Msiza said.

In August 1997, his mother, Anna Msiza, died.

“After my mother was buried, I asked my father to come and stay with me in Putfontein,” said Msiza.

“I decided to stay with my father because I could see that he was hurting from my mother’s passing.”

Msiza added that his father loved his wife dearly.

“One day, my father wanted to go visit his sister in Emaphupheni, which we allowed him to do,” he said.

“After a few months I received a call from the family informing me that they had not seen my father for three days.”

Msiza said he was surprised, because his father was a person who would normally walk around the area but he would come back home.

“My father was a very kind and loving man, who loved his children dearly,” he added

He said that, ever since his father went missing, a big gap has been left in his family.

“Whenever I heard there was an accident or a missing person found, I would always be the first to go and look,” said Msiza.

“I’ve been to hospitals, mortuaries and Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.

“I can’t even sleep at night, with all this pain I have in my heart.”

For the past 16 years, he’s been visiting Home Affairs twice a year, and he was told that his father is alive.

“The most painful part is that some of his children have died longing to see our father,” Msiza added.

“Grandchildren ask where their grandfather is.”

Over the past few years of searching for his dad, he has been scammed by several people who claim they have seen his father.

Recently, the family was told that the missing man was seen in Amsterdam, Mpumalanga.

With sadness in his eyes, Msiza said when he heard that news, he thought he would celebrate his father’s 100th birthday with him.

On January 1, Msiza’s father turned 100 years old.

“All I want is know if my father is okay and how he’s living conditions are like.”

According to Benoni SAPS spokesperson Lieut Nomsa Sekele, if the file of a missing person is lost, one can go to any station and fill in another report for the missing person.

“The police will do everything they can to help you find your loved one,” she said.

“You can also ask to speak to the station commander or branch station manager, provide them with the necessary information and they will handle the matter from there.”