Family Pleads for Missing Toddler’s Recovery

The family of three-year-old Aqhama Mnconywa is in anguish, ten days after she went missing during a tragic accident on the N4 near the Crocodile River on April 13. The toddler’s body has yet to be found, leaving her family in limbo and unable to bury her mother and two others who died in the same incident.

Aqhama was travelling with family members returning from a funeral in Marite when the bakkie they were in suffered a tyre burst. The vehicle struck the kerb, causing its canopy to dislodge. All seven passengers seated in the back were thrown into the river and surrounding bushes.

Her family blames the provincial government and police for delays in the search. Velly Maphanga, a relative, said they were promised a helicopter on April 19, but it never arrived. “We were also promised divers, but that did not happen either. Every day we go to the scene hoping something will happen. The police and government have failed us,” said Maphanga.

The delay in finding Aqhama is holding up funerals for the others who died in the crash. “We cannot bury her mother while her child is still missing. It is painful. We just want peace and closure. We need to give Aqhama a dignified burial,” he added.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli acknowledged receiving an enquiry about the matter but had not responded at the time of publishing. The family continues to search the riverbanks daily, hoping for any sign of the little girl.