Two families at Phadzima and Dopeni villages outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo are reeling in shock after a body of a child was discovered floating in the local Mutshedzi Dam on Tuesday night.
Community members believe the body is that of 11-year-old Pfunzo Makuya who was reported missing on Wednesday last week.
The Makuya family had a week from hell. This as their daughter Pfunzo has been missing for the last 10 days. The family says it’s painful to watch life continue while they don’t know the whereabouts of their daughter.
While the families reel in uncertainty, a few days ago, a body without limbs and private parts were discovered in the nearby Mutshedzi dam. Authorities contacted the family for DNA samples to identify if the body belongs to their child. The Makuya family says they are still holding on to hope.
“There is a body that was found in a nearby river but as a family, we do believe that she is still out there and we are still waiting for the DNA test hopefully the DNA test will come back negative saying it’s not ours, we are appealing with anyone who may have seen something to please come out with the information to inform us,” says Makuya.
VIDEO: 11-year-old girl found floating in Mutshedzi Dam
In the next village of Dopeni, the Muladi family is hours away from burying their daughter, Thapelo Muladi. Muladi allegedly died at the hands of her partner. The 32-year-old is said to have been strangled to death and her body was discovered on the side of the road.
The family says Muladi’s partner had previously been arrested before for allegedly assaulting and raping the deceased.
“The relationship between Thapelo and his partner of we can describe it was very much violent it was full of fights cause the guy had previous case of rape and assault between Thapelo and the guy before he killed it was very poor because it was life and death remember he was out on bail,” says Hulisani Muremi: Muladi family spokesperson.
As one family prepares for a funeral and another holds on for news pertaining to their daughter’s whereabouts, the civic organisation, Real Men Foundation says that men have become victims of patriarchy.
“They don’t want to speak up just because immediately when you speak up and share your problems even the very same person you are talking to can judge to say you’re not man enough and that’s the reason you know this patriarchy system that we grew up knowing that a man is a man I can’t be told I must be the one who comes ups with things so that’s the issue that we are facing with men now so I think we have to find and come up with a solution just to help men to know that even if you are a man and you don’t feel safe or you feel you’re not okay you have to speak up,” Calvin Nengudza the Real Men foundation founder.
According to police, there have been no arrests yet for both the murder of Thabelo Muledi and the disappearance Pfunzo Makuya.
GRAPHIC CONTENT | Families in shock after a body of a child was discovered floating in dam:
