A 20-year-old German woman who launched a search for family of her South African father‚ Alpheus Mpikeleli Kubeka‚ who died while in exile has had a major breakthrough.
She has received a call from an uncle in South Africa.
It's been two weeks since Melinda Breitkopf created a Facebook account dedicated to her search‚ which attracted hundreds of South Africans wanting to help her.
On Monday‚ she updated her supporters on the page and said that she can't express how happy and thankful she is to finally get to know her family.
"A few days ago I finally found my dad's brother‚ my Uncle Banele Kubeka.
"Words can't describe the feeling that I had when I got the first call from him." she wrote on the Facebook page.
The newly-found uncle showed her the passport that her father left in his South African home before going into exile. She also shared a picture of her uncle whom her supporters agreed looked like her father.
Breitkopf thanked her supporters profusely for their help throughout her search.
"A big thanks to everyone who thought of me‚ who shared my post and who had hope together with me. Without you guys I wouldn't be at the point where I am right now." she wrote.
Breitkopft said her father left South Africa in 1977 and died 15 years ago when she was only five years old‚ leaving behind six children.
Some people suggested that they knew her father as a member of the Pan Africanist Congress‚ others said he was part of the African National Congress’ military wing‚ Umkhonto weSizwe(MK).
Breitkopf said she was worried that her relatives in South Africa didn't know about her and her siblings as their father died while wishing to return home with them.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
