The Prime Minister of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr. Thami Ntuli, said he would be happy to find a seven-year-old girl, who disappeared at the end of February this year, and her remains were found in Kokstad.
Lathitha Mtolo (7), who was studying Grade 2 at Xoloxolo Primary, is said to have mysteriously disappeared on February 26. He is said to have gone out to play with his friends in the Marikana slums, and never returned.
After days of not being found, the community that was on fire – ended up setting fire to several homes of those who were suspected of having information about his disappearance.
Among them is a relative of a drug addict, who is said to have revealed that he was the one who took Lathitha and gave her to a woman who was married to a healer from Kokstad. This addict is said to have mutilated the addict while he was still alive, then killed him, and threw his body into a dam in the area.
His house this month as well as that of other traditional healers in the area did not survive as the community immediately set fire to it, saying that they no longer want traditional healers in the area.
Ntuli started by going to the Kokstad police station to get a full report on the disappearance of the victim as well as what the police did about the incident.
He then went to the victim’s family to rest his knee, and stopped to oversee the celebration of the Human Rights Day at the stadium in Riverview, Kokstad.
Ntuli said that they are very concerned as the government about the continuation of incidents associated with the abuse of women and children in this area and across the province.
He said this is not only a problem associated with crime but also affects the abuse of human rights.
He said his concern arose when he received a report about missing children in the area.
“I was worried about what happened in February, the child (7) who was supposed to be playing came home, went to eat, went out again, and ended up not coming back. Until today, he has never been found again,” said Ntuli.
He said he was pleased with the report he received from the police that they are doing everything possible to search for the thief, which includes searching using modern technology.
“I said to the police that I am waiting to hear the end that will please all of us because I want to find him alive, whether we find him or not,” he said.
He said he also found out about the detention of the parents of a child (3) who was said to be heard crying in the room where he was sitting with his stepfather in December last year, following which he asked him where his USB was?
It is said that the mother came out of another room to check what was happening where the stepfather and the child were sitting, and found that they were nowhere to be seen. It turns out that the couple did not report anything to the police about the child’s disappearance until January this year, which led to them being the first to be arrested for his disappearance. This child is said to have never been found.
Ntuli likened incidents like these to something worrying.
“Even though we celebrate human rights, there are many women who are not happy that we have a law that gives rights because they are victims,” he said.