"I'M pleading with anyone who has my child to release her – dead or alive."
"Let the person place her on the side of the road so that we can find her. Maybe we can find closure."
Those are the heartbreaking words of a sad mum, Ntombithini Bhembe (37) from Zonkeziwe in Ekurhuleni.
Her daughter, Mbalenhle Bhembe (10), went missing on Saturday, 30 March 2024, and was last seen with the suspect, who is the mum's ex-boyfriend.
The suspect, who has since been arrested, was among the people who helped search for the missing Mbalenhle and even made posters.
The mum alleged that the ex-boyfriend started visiting her at her home in November 2023, asking for love back, but she refused, telling him she had moved on and had a new boyfriend.
Ntombithini said she can't sleep at night and always wonders what happened to her daughter.
"She was outside playing with other kids when the ex-boyfriend took her. I asked him several times before and after he was arrested about the whereabouts of my daughter, but he kept denying he took her," Ntombithini claimed.
ALSO READ | Tragic twist: Ex finds mum and son dead!
She said, with tears in her eyes, that she was not coping.
"Since her disappearance, life has not been easy. Her friends are going to school, and I don’t know where she is. Her two siblings are asking about her every day, and I don't know how to answer them," said Ntombithini.
She said she had been searching for her daughter in hospitals and surrounding areas but couldn't find her.
"If there are people who know the whereabouts, I pleaded with them to help with the information, even if she's dead and buried in a shallow grave, I will be glad to get her remains. It will be better to know that my child has been found, and I will be able to bury her," said Ntombithini.
She said she always gets worried when she receives calls.
"This person has caused me pain. When people call me, I get frightened because I don't know if I'd get bad news that my child is dead. I'm a dead woman walking because my life has been empty since my chilld's disappearance," said Ntombithini.
Police spokeswoman Captain Neldah Sekgobela confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect was arrested as he was the last person seen with the missing girl.
She appealed to anyone who might have information about the little girl's whereabouts to contact the police.
