Mdantsane family's desperate search for missing relative
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A Mdantsane family has endured a desperate festive season waiting for news about a missing relative..
Tutu Healton Msindeli, 71, of NU12, went missing on December 14 while attending a traditional ceremony at his sister-in-law’s home in NU8.
His family has been looking for him at mortuaries and hospitals, but to no avail.
Msindeli’s third-born son, Luzuko Msindeli, 41, said the family had spent Christmas day looking for him in Berlin and surrounding areas, and the search has continued since.
The last time Luzuko saw his father, he was standing by the fence at the sister-in-law’s home.
“We went to offload items we had bought, but five minutes later we could not see him. We looked around homes and bushes in the area without finding him,” Luzuko said.
Luzuko said his father had dementia and heart problems and without his medication, their fears about his safety were heightened.
“Not a day goes that we don’t look for him. I will start looking in old age homes too. We are very worried as he can’t take care of himself,” Luzuko said.
“He is very quiet person and loves to joke from time to time. We are worried that even if someone finds him, he would not be able to say where he stays or say his name because of his dementia. We plead with people to help him to find us.”
He said his 66-year-old mother Lulama had been deeply affected and her health was suffering. “Every day it becomes harder for her.”
Luzuko said it was not the first time his father had gone missing.
In November, he was found in Postdam after disappearing for several days.
“We have hope that we will find him even now. We won’t stop looking. He had no ID or any identifying documents on him. He was wearing a maroon jacket, red shirt, blue jeans and a red cap when he went missing.
“His pills are here at home. He needs to take them every day and now that he hasn’t had them, we fear for his health. We have even looked in forests for him. This is painful. It’s hard to think about what he might be going through. We want him to be found, even if it is just his bones.”
“We pray for his safe return. We need him.”
Police spokesperson captain Hazel Mqala confirmed a missing persons case had been opened with police.
“The investigation is still continuing. He has not yet been found,” she said.