By Thabiso Nkuna
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has expressed his sadness over the discovery of the remains of Junior Mabandla, who went missing in Pienaar on June 3, 2024. An 18-year-old man was apprehended in connection with the discovery and is currently receiving medical treatment under police guard after being reportedly assaulted by community members.
The Police were called to a scene in Pienaar where they encountered a man who claimed to be involved in the disappearance of two children, a three-year-old girl and Junior Mabandla. The situation was tense due to the large number of people present. After arriving at the cemetery, the man was taken to a medical facility for treatment while the Police were shown a grave where Junior’s remains were kept.
Junior Mabandla’s family members confirmed that the clothes recovered along with the remains were their child’s. The remains were collected by Forensic Pathology officials. Although the sad man has not been charged, the Police are adamant that there could be more discovered through the ongoing investigation. It is expected that the body of the three-year-old girl will be exhumed in Pienaar today, July 4, 2024. Mkhwanazi emphasized that the Police will leave no stone unturned and urged the public to allow justice to take its course and refrain from vigilantism.
