Solly Mathule (60) travelled with a group of men from Madibogo where he was born, to Mpumalanga in search of employment. He was 20 years old at the time. Later on, the men that arrived with him returned home but Mr Mathule stayed behind to work for the Erasmus family on the farm Bosmansfontein.

Mr Mathule lost contact with his family. He never had an identity book, despite several attempts from the Erasmus family to get him one. Mr Mathule was told by local Home Affairs officials to go back to his place of birth to apply for an identity document there, something he did not want to do.

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After Mr Mathule fell ill a couple of years ago and was unable to work, he was taken care of and supported by the elderly Erasmus couple.

Disaster struck when the couple sold their farm a few years ago and planned to relocate to Durban. They could not take Mr Mathule with them, but didn’t want to leave him behind without any family.

Out of desperation, they approached the Hendrina CMR, to try and trace Mr Mathule’s family.

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After three months of investigating and travelling 700 km, social worker Madconald Phebe finally managed to trace the family. Both Mr Mathule’s parents and some of his siblings have since passed away, but a brother-in-law and sister was elated to find out that he was still alive.

Arrangements were made for the siblings to be reunited. With financial help from the Erasmus couple, the parties met halfway, in Krugersdorp. The meeting was filled with tears of joy as the two siblings saw each other again for the first time in four decades. Mr Mathule left to return to his place of birth with his family.

The siblings were full of praise for Mr Phebe and the CMR for their efforts to reunite them.