Still no accountability for missing child
They say that losing a child is the most painful thing that can happen to any mother, but not knowing what happened to your child is even more horrific.
MGOBODZI – This is according to Ms Maria Vilane whose three-year-old granddaughter, whom she has raised as her own, went missing on October 30 after she was last seen with her 19-year-old neighbour.
The clearly shattered Vilane told Mpumalanga News that when they realised the child was missing, they asked the neighbour where she was, but he denied knowing anything regarding her whereabouts.
“It was only after community members ganged up against him and demanded answers that he confessed that he had sold Lutricia to a pastor of the local Jericho Church,” sobbed Vilane.
Police were called and the suspect was arrested. The pastor was later taken in for questioning after his house was burnt down by the angry community and what puzzled the grandmother even more was the fact that the man of the cloth was later released.
“I really do not understand how the police operate. My grandchild is still missing, but the person who bought her is walking in the streets freely. All I need is to know what happened to her.
I lay awake at night wondering if she has eaten or bathed. I pray that the person who has her can have mercy on our family and bring her back.”
Tonga police’s Const Mzwandile Nyambi confirmed the case, adding that the child has not yet been found and the search continues. He added that the suspect will appear in court today on kidnapping charges. He further confirmed that the spiritual healer has been released pending investigations.
“The healer was taken in for questioning and at the moment there was no link between him and the suspect. Their phones have both been taken in to establish if there had been any communication between them,” Nyambi said.
The angry community has now resorted to anger by kidnapping the suspect’s 24-year-old brother and the only ransom was the missing child returned to her family, dead or alive.
