Families of Nozipho Mnguni and Langalakhe Mazeka, who have been missing since December, say they will never get closure until they find them — dead or alive.
Mazeka (41) left their place in Mpola, Mariannhill, on the evening of December 13 to escort his girlfriend of three years, Mnguni (27), from work in Pinetown, but they never made it home.
Mnguni is originally from Greytown and Mazeka from Impendle.
“Sometime in October someone was found stabbed to death next to the Umhlathuzana Forest and they both feared that the criminals would take advantage of her if she walked through the forest on her own in the evenings,” said Mnguni’s sister Lindi Zondi.
Mnguni worked as a waitress while Mazeka lost his job early last year and was hoping to find employment in the New Year. The couple lived with Mnguni’s two children aged 10 and seven, who were visiting Zondi at the time of the incident.
“I never suspected that anything was wrong because Langalakhe’s phone was ringing whenever I called, but Nozipho’s went offline and stopped ringing on her birthday, on December 15,” recalled Zondi.
When Mazeka’s family in Impendle could not get hold of him on the phone they sent another relative to check on him. Zondi had also gone to find out what was happening as her sister’s phone kept going to voicemail. When they broke into the house, Mazeka’s wallet was found on the bed and his phone was connected to a charger.
“I knew the moment I saw his phone and wallet that something terrible had happened. In the fridge there was also a big cake which he had bought for my sister’s birthday. The neighbours told me they had not seen them for days,” recalled a distraught Zondi.
Mazeka’s cousin Thembani Khanyile said they were puzzled about what had happened and there were no suspicions of a lovers’ tiff. He said they have looked everywhere — including combing the forest with community members and the police — but there was no sign of their whereabouts.
Khanyile said it did not make sense why someone would kidnap them because they were not rich and were not involved in anything illegal.
“Nothing about their disappearance makes sense but we just hope that we at least find their remains because we will never be able to find closure if we don’t give them a proper burial,” said Khanyile.
Zondi became emotional when she spoke about how Mnguni’s children asked about her whereabouts every day, saying she just could not bring herself to tell them the truth. She has since taken them to her home in Greytown where they will have to enrol in a new school on Wednesday.
“When they first asked in December I told them she was away on a work trip, but now it breaks my heart when I hear them saying their mom and Langalakhe don’t love them anymore and that’s why they left and never came back.”
She said Mnguni’s children loved Mazeka and he treated them like they were his.
KZN police spokesperson Lieutenant- Colonel Thulani Zwane has appealed to anyone with information that could help them find the couple to contact the local police or Warrant Officer Joseph Sithebe on 073 190 1442 or 031 717 2090/1.
