The family of Tomase Koni, 20, who went missing from his initiate hut at Madizeni village in Ngcobo on Sunday night, are relieved after he was found safe.
On Tuesday morning, a family member who works at All Saints Hospital in Ngcobo spotted Tomase when he walked into the facility.
Speaking to TimesLIVE, Tomase’s aunt, Nonkumbulelo Koni, said the family received a call at about 7am informing them he was at the hospital.
“My sister, who works at the hospital, said he was fine. The men in the family immediately rushed there and were told he was not injured. They could not share many details because there is a lot of secrecy around what happens to a mkhwetha [initiate],” she said.
Nonkumbulelo said the family was grateful that their son had been found alive and in good health.
Tomase had reportedly gone to relieve himself on Sunday night and was accompanied by another initiate and a traditional nurse [ikhankatha]. “They waited for him at a distance while he was relieving himself. That was the last time they saw him,” she said.
In line with custom, only the men at the initiation camp were initially alerted to his disappearance. However, when an overnight search failed to locate him, the family informed the women.
The family’s anguish was worsened by a phone call demanding a R2,000 ransom for Tomase’s release, raising fears about his safety and the possible exploitation of their distress.
“We were devastated because we didn’t know what could have happened to him,” Nonkumbulelo said, adding they had planned to seek police assistance.
TimesLIVE
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