'I don't know what happened to Thabiso' - Majakaneng mystery

When Thabiso Shole and his two friends went to steal oranges from a farm‚ they never thought that act would cause agony for the community of Majakaneng in the North West.

The trio went out on August 2‚ hoping‚ as usual‚ to get oranges and sell them to feed their drug habit. Unfortunately things did not follow their normal pattern that day. They also found scrap metal items at the farm‚ which they thought could generate more money than oranges.

They ditched the oranges for scrap but their luck was short-lived. Someone had noticed them.

“While we were picking up the scrap metal‚ I heard a gunshot. We all ran away. After running for a distance we stopped because our friend could no longer run. He had a bullet wound in his leg. We carried him and left him next to a tree‚ then we ran away because the shooter was still chasing us‚” said Shole.

The injured friend‚ Tebogo Ndlovu‚ has not been seen since. His disappearance has sparked violent protests in the area. Police have searched the farm and blood stains were found‚ but no trace of Ndlovu.

Police have opened a missing person’s inquest and are investigating a case of attempted murder. There are no arrests yet. Shole and the third friend have been asked several times by the police to assist with clues as to what happened at the farm.

“I don’t know what happened to Tebogo after we left him there. The person who can answer that question is the person that was chasing us. We left Tebogo next to a tree because he was injured. I wish we carried him out of the farm but we could not because we were being chased‚” said Shole.

The 25-year-old claims he has been assaulted by police to force him to change his statement. “They can beat me all they want but I won’t change my statement. We left Tebogo in that farm. He was injured and somebody was chasing us when we left him‚” he said.

Police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone rejects Shole’s claims of assault‚ adding that he must report this to the police for investigation.

Ndlovu’s mother said her family is struggling to deal with Ndlovu’s disappearance.

“I know my son was troublesome but can somebody tell me what happened to him? I can’t sleep at night‚ not knowing if Tebogo is still alive or dead. Please help us find closure‚” said a tearful Martha Ndlovu.

The citrus farmer and his family fled the area on August 13 as violent protesters allegedly attempted to burn his property. Efforts to contact him for comment have not been successful.

Misdaad Verkeer Forum and councillor Hannetjie Grobbelaar helped the family salvage their belongings during the violent protest.