Motheo Rashilo was last seen alive on October 28th after her mother dropped her off at a friend’s home.
The family believes Motheo was later picked up by an unidentified person at around midday. Her body was found on Wednesday about two kilometres from her home.
Friends, family, and neighbours gathered at the home of Motheo Rashilo to comfort her grieving mother.
Motheo’s grandfather, Moses Magoro, says her death has left the family devastated.
“Nothing makes sense. How can a child be abducted in the middle of the day at one o’clock, in broad daylight? She was playing with other children. It is very clear that the person who took her knows her and she knew them too. She was even seen on the street being carried by this person. It is just not possible that no one saw them or could identify them. It just does not make sense.”
The 21-month-old child reported missing in Limpopo found dead:
Police have opened an inquest to investigate the cause of Motheo’s death.
DNA tests will also be conducted to confirm the identity of the body as it was badly decomposed when it was discovered.
Family spokesperson, Madimetja Magoro, says police have not been giving them regular updates on the status of the case.
“We are concerned about the fact that police were involved or were called to get involved. We are really disturbed by the fact that we are not getting regular feedback. So, they are not talking to us about what is transpiring with regard to what they are doing currently. And we don’t really have any direction about when we are going to bury the deceased. But unfortunately, we are not having any information and we are expecting them to give us information pertaining to what happened on the pathological side”
Residents at Malatane have expressed their shock.
“I would like to appeal to fellow residents that whoever knows anything must go to the police because this is shocking. This is the first time something like this happens here and we are shocked. What happened to that child breaks my heart,” says a resident.
The family doesn’t know when it will be able to lay Motheo to rest, as they are waiting for her mother’s DNA samples to be taken.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo says it is the responsibility of investigating officers to keep in constant contact with a victim’s family.
Last month, SABC News reported about the discovery of the body of two-year-old Nhlayiseko Ngobeni from Rwanda village in Nwamitwa, a day after she had been reported missing.
Nhlawuleko had been raped and strangled to death. Police have opened a murder case, but no arrest has been made.
A child goes missing every five hours in SA:
