Zimpapers Logo

Bulisile Mguni Chronicle Reporter
THE working-class suburbs of Nkulumane and Emganwini were gripped by fear yesterday as police reported that a FIFTH child had gone missing.

Winnie Museredzo, 14, of Nkulumane 12, is the latest to mysteriously disappearances.

Winnie, a Form 1 pupil at Ncumbatha Secondary School, went missing on June 9. She is the second girl from the same area to go missing after Nontobeko Yolanda Nkomo, 10, a Grade 6 pupil at Mgoqo Primary School, went missing on May 26.

Police this week launched an appeal for information about the whereabouts of three other children from the same neighbourhood — Arlington Shereni, 15, Thabo Ncube, 18, and Cyril Ndlovu, 15, all of Emganwini which shares a boundary with Nkulumane.

Bulawayo police spokesman Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo said: “Winnie is medium built, about 1,4 metres tall and dark in complexion. She was last seen at around 5.50PM on June 9 after she told family members she was going to collect a textbook at a friend’s place. She never returned.

“Winnie was last seen wearing a blue blouse, brown jersey, long chequered skirt and black sandals.”

A Chronicle news crew visited Winnie’s home and spoke to the girl’s mother, Vongai Museredzo.

She said when her daughter left home to go and collect a book from her friend’s residence in the same neighbourhood, there was nothing to suggest she had no intention to return home.

“My daughter left home on Tuesday evening saying she was going to collect a history textbook from a friend’s place. She left at around 5.50PM and her father emphasised to her that she must come back quickly as darkness comes early in winter,” she said.

“Two hours passed without her retuning and we started getting very worried. That’s when we decided to go and look for her. We went to some of her friends’ houses but they said they had last seen her at school. We went back home although I was still hurting inside because we hadn’t found my girl.”

Winnie’s aunt, Eniah Garudzo, said on the following day, the family searched for the girl again but noone had seen her.

“All the pupils professed ignorance about the book that Winnie had said she was going to collect. They didn’t have such a book. It was only their teacher who had such a textbook,” said Garudzo.

She said the family called in the police after failing to find her.

Residents of Nkulumane and Emganwini suburbs, who are under Nkulumane Police Station, are now becoming alarmed by a developing pattern where a child goes missing every month since February.

The children went missing under different but equally baffling circumstances.

Eighteen-year-old Thabo Ncube, a former Founders High School pupil, disappeared without trace in February and Cyril Ndlovu, 15, a Form 3 pupil at Hamilton High School, went missing on March 1.

Arlington Shereni, 15, a Form 2 pupil at a city college, is another missing child who was last seen on April 30 and 10-year-old Nontobeko Nkomo, of Nkulumane 12, went missing on May 26.

Arlington was last seen wearing a white vest, brown tracksuit bottom and blue shoes.

Cyril was last seen on March 1 at around 8.30AM. He was last spotted wearing a green T-shirt, black track bottom and Adidas sports shoes.

Nontobeko is medium built, about 1.2m tall and dark in complexion. She was last seen on May 28 wearing a bottle green pair of trousers, bottle green jersey, bottle green blouse, black shoes, green socks and a green woollen hat. She was carrying a pink and grey satchel. She was last seen at around 9AM.

The children’s parents say their neighbourhoods are now gripped by fear, with every missing child adding to their fears that there is a sinister force at work.

Insp Moyo said police are working frantically to establish the whereabouts of the missing children.

“We’re appealing to anyone with information on the whereabouts of the missing children to contact their nearest police station or alternatively call ZRP Nkulumane on landline 09-481145. Our toll free numbers are 110 and 999. Members of the public can also make use of our WhatsApp numbers 0776097122 and 0717922398,” said Insp Moyo.