Twenty-year-old first-year CPUT student Sinethemba Mbikanye has been missing for about two weeks. Picture: Supplied
Cape Town - The family of a 20-year-old first-year student at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) are having sleepless nights as she has been missing since July 5.
Sinethemba Mbikanye, from Enkanini in Khayelitsha, left her home to go to Philippi to meet an unknown person. Her sister, Nokubonga Mbikanye, said she accompanied her to her workplace the morning she went missing.
“On the day she went missing, Sinethemba left her 2-year-old child with me. Later that evening, I waited for her to help me with the kids, hers and mine, but she never returned home. Seeing it was late, I sent her a text asking her where she was and she replied, telling me she was in Philippi.
“I tried to continue with the conversation because I wanted to know more about her whereabouts, but she never replied. When I called her, her phone went to voicemail.”
Sinethemba’s family involved a relative, in IT, who traced her through her phone to Eyadini informal settlement.
“On Tuesday, with the help of Radio Zibonele FM, we went to Philippi, and Nyanga’s station commander allocated officers to go with us to look for her,” Nokubonga said.
She said the cellphone pin led them to a house where they found boys aged about 14 or 15.
“We asked the boys if they knew my sister, and maybe if they bought a cellphone from someone, and they said no,” Nokubonga said.
“Talking to their mother, who arrived as we were busy, she told us that it is possible from the pin to locate her house because most of her neighbours are young men.”
Nyanga CPF spokesperson Dumisani Qwebe said Nyanga SAPS did discuss the case of a missing girl with them and the search was continuing. The place where the girl was last located is well known for shenanigans.
“Eyadini used to be under Samora Machel, but since last year it was moved over to Nyanga and we knew from there that it would give us a headache. That place is known for house break-ins, rapes, murders and car hijackings.
“As Nyanga CPF we are planning to go there soon together with SAPS to look for the girl, and if she was last seen there we will ensure that the residents tell us where she is.”
siviwe.melapi@inl.co.za