Khephu Majola (59) from Eqhudeni Area in Nquthu, KwaZulu-Natal went missing from Kwesine Hostel in Katlehong.
A missing persons file was open on Saturday, December 10.
The communications officer at Katlehong Police Station, Capt Mega Ndobe said since the report was made police and family were having a tough time looking for him.
“We have been working hard together with the family searching for him, in hospitals, mortuaries and even in prisons.
“It is alleged that he went missing after receiving a call from a certain woman said to be a girlfriend. From there he did not come back. He was found dead in the morning inside the vandalised building near the hostel where he lived. The building has a sinkhole inside, which has water in it. His body was noticed by a passer-by who then informed the police. A postmortem will be conducted in order to determine the cause of his death,” said Ndobe.
Ndobe added that they have not made any arrests yet.
According to Mfuneleni Langa, Majola’s grandson, his grandfather went to do his laundry early in the morning of Friday, December 9 and never came back.
“Very late during the day someone from the hostel came to report that he had left his clothes next to the tap where he went to do washing. That is when we started to wonder what might have happened to him. We started looking in the places where he used to go to drink and no one seemed to know where he was.
“The following day we went to open a case at the Katlehong Police Station. We started the search with the help of the police, without success,” said Langa.
Bashikile Xulu, a niece to the deceased, said her uncle had no enemies.
“He was such a nice and quiet person who would never say a bad thing nor swear at anyone.
“His friend who saw him leaving his clothes next to the tap said someone came to fetch him and pretended to be in a hurry for something. That person never returned with my uncle.
“The sad thing is that no one can recognise or identify the person who came to fetch him because that person might have answers to the questions we are still asking ourselves now.
“He was supposed to go see his family back at home. I can’t even phone his wife and children to find out how are they doing because it feels bad to hear them crying,” said Xulu.
Majola, who stayed in Block M at Kwesine Hostel in Katlehong, was loved by many people because of his good and friendly character.
According to Khuzabantu Sithole, who shared a room with Majola, the incident has left them shocked and very sad.
Sithole explained how they found out that his roommate’s body had been dumped at the abandoned building outside the hostel.
“Kids who were playing outside the abandoned building saw the body and then went to tell a man who was passing by.
“He then came to inform hostel residents to come and identify the body. One of the residents who knew him came to tell us,” Sithole said.
Majola will be buried in KwaZulu-Natal.
