Missing person: Second elderly Alzheimer’s sufferer goes missing

The family of 75-year-old Disaya Mjuza have resorted to desperate measures in an effort to find their loved one after he went missing during the severe storm more than a week ago. 

“Maduna”, as he is commonly known, was last seen searching for his cattle in the mountains of Rhabe location in Debe Nek outside Dikeni on Saturday last week. 

The search saw scores of Rhabe community members brave the cold to find Mjuza, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. 

According to a relative, Tony Dlabathi, Mjuza had problems with his memory a week before his disappearance.

“He had moments where he would forget things. He did not recognise his son when he came for a visit, his condition was worsening,” she said. 

Dlabathi said Mjuza had left his homestead with a neighbour, but the neighbour had returned alone because of the bad weather. 

“They went to search for cattle and managed to find one

“He [Mjuza] refused to return home and continued to search for the rest of the cattle and that was the last time we heard of him. 

“For three days we gathered the community to search for him, but nothing came of it,” she said. 

A search was made for several hours on Thursday with the aid of the Keiskammahoek SAPS and the dog unit.

Dlabathi said they had visited police stations and hospitals in a bid to find anything that could link to him. 

Mjuza was the second person suffering from dementia who went missing last week. 

On Friday, the Dispatch reported that Nomqheliso Mroxe, 74, and her two-year-old grandson, Yolula, had been missing for five days.

Since Sunday last week, the family and community members in Dube village, near Qonce, have been searching tirelessly for them, with the assistance of the police’s dog unit and a search-and-rescue helicopter.

Family spokesperson Lungiwe Royi said Mroxe also suffered from Alzheimer’s.

The search for Mjuza is expected to continue midweek. 

On Sunday, as part of the commemoration the International Day for Older Persons, social development MEC Bukiwe Fanta emphasised the need to give prominence to the elderly, for them to enjoy their rights and address violations against them.

Fanta’s department is organising a consultation session on the provincial Healthy Ageing Strategy event scheduled to take place on November 6 and 7.

The department has set aside R91m for elderly people in the province.

“Families and communities play a meaningful role in caring for older persons,” Fanta said.

“But all these gains are on the verge of being reversed if the escalating cases of abuse and murder of older people in the province is anything to go by,” she said. 

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