Home for Christmas – that is the wish of the desperate family of a prominent spiritual leader who has been missing for three weeks.
Retired reverend Fezile Tokota of the Brownlee Congregational Church was last seen leaving his Bhisho home for King William’s Town on November 29.
Tokota, 77, who lives with his two daughters and three grandchildren, told his family he was off to town to replace a missing bank card. When he did not return home, his family went to the bank on Monday December 1. There they were told that the pensioner had been there but left after being assisted.
His son, Mxolisi Tokota, said he realised something was wrong when he visited his father’s home on Sunday to deliver his diabetes medication and he was not home.
“He is not well and we worry about what he is eating and where he is sleeping. He has to take his medication on a daily basis after breakfast,” Mxolisi told the Dispatch from Bhisho yesterday.
A massive search involving the K9 dog unit and the East London search and rescue unit was launched. Police even searched the Buffalo River in King William’s Town and the nearby Tyutyu village, while church members searched bushes behind the Bhisho stadium.
Church members also went to their respective villages to continue the search for the elderly man. However, the search has yielded no clues.
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa said police had done all preliminary investigations without success.
According to Mawisa the Reverend was last seen in a pair of black shoes, black trousers, light blue shirt, grey jacket and black hat.
The pensioner, affectionately known as “Baw’uTshawe”, was a senior official in the office of Ciskei president Lennox Sebe, in the early 1980s. Tokota and Sebe were good friends and Sebe was in Tokota’s congregation.
When Sebe decided to build the first church in Bhisho, Tokota oversaw the construction and decades later the Brownlee Congregational Church structure is still standing strong. “Sebe built the church as a contribution to the community and my father supervised the building until the last brick was laid,” Mxolisi said.
The bond between them had remained strong, and both Sebe and his son Lolo are buried inside the church’s yard.
“As a family, we are hurting over his disappearance because now we are going towards Christmas, a day where we all gather around one table and have him sit as the head while we enjoy lunch and supper,” said Mxoliso.
“It is going to be our first Christmas ever that we spend without our father.”
Mxolisi said friends and families around Bhisho, King William’s Town and Fort Beaufort were deeply concerned about the old man’s safety. Despite not hearing from him in three weeks, Mxolisi remains hopeful his father is still alive.
“I am sure there is a good Samaritan out there who has seen my father wandering somewhere but did not know what to do. We are saying here is the opportunity to get in touch with us, we will fetch him wherever he is.”
Reverend Sonwabile Snyman of the Balfour Congregational Church said Tokota had dedicated his whole life to the work of God. “He presided over many weddings and buried a lot of people in this area. I have been making a special request to church ministers not only in our church but different churches in our area to pray for him,” said Snyman.
He said next Thursday congregations from different church groups will gather in the Reverend’s Bhisho home and pray for his safe return.
Bhisho police detective Constable Lonwabo Diniso is investigating the reverend’s disappearance. He can be contacted at 076-722-2322 or (040) 608-3200. Mxolisi can be contacted at 082-801-2565.
Mystery of a disappearing cleric
Retired reverend Fezile Tokota of the Brownlee Congregational Church was last seen leaving his Bhisho home for King William’s Town on November 29.
Tokota, 77, who lives with his two daughters and three grandchildren, told his family he was off to town to replace a missing bank card. When he did not return home, his family went to the bank on Monday December 1. There they were told that the pensioner had been there but left after being assisted.
His son, Mxolisi Tokota, said he realised something was wrong when he visited his father’s home on Sunday to deliver his diabetes medication and he was not home.
“He is not well and we worry about what he is eating and where he is sleeping. He has to take his medication on a daily basis after breakfast,” Mxolisi told the Dispatch from Bhisho yesterday.
A massive search involving the K9 dog unit and the East London search and rescue unit was launched. Police even searched the Buffalo River in King William’s Town and the nearby Tyutyu village, while church members searched bushes behind the Bhisho stadium.
Church members also went to their respective villages to continue the search for the elderly man. However, the search has yielded no clues.
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa said police had done all preliminary investigations without success.
According to Mawisa the Reverend was last seen in a pair of black shoes, black trousers, light blue shirt, grey jacket and black hat.
The pensioner, affectionately known as “Baw’uTshawe”, was a senior official in the office of Ciskei president Lennox Sebe, in the early 1980s. Tokota and Sebe were good friends and Sebe was in Tokota’s congregation.
When Sebe decided to build the first church in Bhisho, Tokota oversaw the construction and decades later the Brownlee Congregational Church structure is still standing strong. “Sebe built the church as a contribution to the community and my father supervised the building until the last brick was laid,” Mxolisi said.
The bond between them had remained strong, and both Sebe and his son Lolo are buried inside the church’s yard.
“As a family, we are hurting over his disappearance because now we are going towards Christmas, a day where we all gather around one table and have him sit as the head while we enjoy lunch and supper,” said Mxoliso.
“It is going to be our first Christmas ever that we spend without our father.”
Mxolisi said friends and families around Bhisho, King William’s Town and Fort Beaufort were deeply concerned about the old man’s safety. Despite not hearing from him in three weeks, Mxolisi remains hopeful his father is still alive.
“I am sure there is a good Samaritan out there who has seen my father wandering somewhere but did not know what to do. We are saying here is the opportunity to get in touch with us, we will fetch him wherever he is.”
Reverend Sonwabile Snyman of the Balfour Congregational Church said Tokota had dedicated his whole life to the work of God. “He presided over many weddings and buried a lot of people in this area. I have been making a special request to church ministers not only in our church but different churches in our area to pray for him,” said Snyman.
He said next Thursday congregations from different church groups will gather in the Reverend’s Bhisho home and pray for his safe return.
Bhisho police detective Constable Lonwabo Diniso is investigating the reverend’s disappearance. He can be contacted at 076-722-2322 or (040) 608-3200. Mxolisi can be contacted at 082-801-2565.
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